OP  THB 

UNIVERSITY 


M 

THE 

BEE-KEEPER'S  DIRECTORY, 


THEORY  AND  PEACTICE  OF 


BEE  CULTURE, 


IN    ALL    ITS    DEPARTMENTS, 

THE  RESULT  OF  EIGHTEEN  TEARS  PERSONAL  STUDY  OF  THEIR 
HABITS  AND  INSTINCTS. 

BY   J.    S.    HAKBISON, 

PBACTICAL    APIAKIAN. 

WITH  AN  INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY  BY  0.  C.  WHEELER, 

Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  California  State  Agricultural  Society. 
*  "     OF  THB  ^V 

UNIVERSITY  1 


_ 

Embellished    with    Eighty    Illustrations 


SAN    FRANCISCO: 
H.     H.     BANCROFT    AND     COMPANY 

1861  . 


PRESERVATION 
COPY  ADDED 
ORIGINAL  TO  BE 
RETAINED 


76-2 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  A.  D.  1861, 

BY  J.  S.  HARBISON, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the 
Northern  Districtof  California. 


TOWNE  &  BACON,  PRINTERS,  503  CLAY  STREET,  SAN  FRANCISCO. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAP.  PAGE. 

L    Experience  in  Bee-Keeping 27 

II.    Introduction  of  the  Honey  Bee  to  California 37 

III.  The  Honey  Bee:  Classification,  Physiology  and  Char- 

acteristics     47 

IV.  Diseases 83 

V.    Enemies , , 105 

(VI.    Taming  Bees 121 
VII.    Hives ». 129 

VIII.    Choice  of  Stock 161 

IX.    Pasturage 171 

X.    The  Apiary 181 

XL    Honey. 189 

XII.    Pollen,  or  Bee-Bread 211 

XIII.  Propolis 221 

XIV.  Bees-Wax 226 

XV.    Swarming 233 

XVI.    Forced  Swarming 253 

XVII.    Colonizing 259 

XVIII.    Comb 277 

XIX.    Transferring 289 

XX.    Feeding 299 


Vlll  CONTENTS. 

CHAP.  PAGE. 

XXI.    Bobbery ^. 313 

XXII.    Over-Stocking 321 

XXIII.  Transportation 335 

XXIV.  Wintering  Bees 343 

XXV.    Monthly  Management 351 

XXVI.    Italian  Honey  Bee 381 

XXVII.    Stingless  Honey  Bee, 399 

XXVHI.  Miscellaneous...                                                              ..  411 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  PLATES. 


Frontispiece — BEE  TREE. 
PLATE  I,  p.  47,  fig.  1.    Represents  the  Queen,  life  size,  and  fig.  2, 

magnified. 
PLATE  I,  p.  47,  fig.  3.    Drone,  life  size,  and  fig.  4,  magnified. 

"  "       fig.  5.    Worker,  life  size,  and  fig.  6,  magnified. 

"  "       fig.  7.    Anatomical  view  of  Worker. 

"  "       fig,  8.    Worker  magnified,  showing  wax  exuding 

from  the  rings  of  the  belly. 
PLATE  I,  p.  47,  fig.  9.    Legs  of  Worker  loaded  with  Pollen. 

"  «       fig.  10.  Section  of  Brood  Comb. 

PLATE  II,  p.  64,  fig.  11.  Section  of  Comb  containing  Brood  of  Drone- 
laying  Queen. 

PLATE  III,  p.  77,  fig.  12.  Section  of  Comb  containing  Brood  of  Fer- 
tile Worker. 

PLATE  IV,  p.  110,  fig.  13.  Bee-moths,  or  Millers. 
PLATE  V,^>.  112,  fig.  14.  Worm  Gallery  on  surface  of  Brood  Comb. 

"  "      fig.  15.  Worm  Gallery,  separate. 

PLATE  VI,  p.  112,  fig,  16.  Worms  at  different  stages  of  growth. 

"  "       fig.  17.  Pupa  and  Cocoon  of  Moth. 

"  "       tig.  18.  A  mass  of  Cocoons. 

PLATE  VII,  p.  135,  fig.  19,   Vertical  section  of  Straw  Hive,  with 

Combs. 
PLATE  VII,  p.  135,  fig.  20.   Cross    Section   of   Straw   Hive   with 

Combs. 
PLATE  VIII,  p,  137,  fig.  21.  Cross  Section  of  Square  Box,  with 

Combs. 

1* 


X  EXPLANATION   OF  THE  PLATES. 

PLATE  IX,  p.  145,  fig',  22.  Frame  of  Huber  Hive. 
"  "        fig.  2&  HuberHive, 

PLATE  X,  p.  146,  fig.  24.  Be*van'»  Bee  Be*, 

"  "        fig.  25.  Sevan's1  Bee  Box  storing 

PLATE  XI,  p.  147,  fig.  26.  Munn  Hive. 

PLATE  XII,  p.  149,  fig.  27.  Langstroth  Hive. 

PLATE  XIII,  p.  150,  fig.  28.  Front  view  of  California  Hive*'/ 

PLATE  XIV,  p.  151,  fig.  29.  Rear  view  of  California  Hive. 

PLATE  XV,  p.  152,  fig.  30.  Side  Section  view  of  California  Hive. 

PLATE  XVI,  p.  152,  fig.  31.  Stile  or  side  of  Hive,  separate. 

PLATE  XVII,  p.  153,  fig.  32.  Front  Board  of  Hive,  separate. 
"  "      fig.  33.  Sill  of  Hive,  separate. 

PLATE  XVIII,  p.  153,  fig.  34.  Parts  composing  Comb  Frame. 

PLATE  XIX,  p.  153,  fig.  35.  Gauge  for  nailing  the  Comb  Frames 
together. 

PLATE  XX,  p.  154,  fig.  36.  Comb  Frame. 

"       fig.  37.  Parts  composing  Section  of  Honey-box. 

PLATE  XXI,  p.  154,  fig.  38.  Gauge  for  nailing  the  Section  of  Honey- 
box  together. 

PLATE  XXII,  p.  155,  fig.  39.  Section  Honey-box  and  Section. 

"  fig.  40.  Chamber  Floor.  By  using  canvas  or 
paste-board  for  this  purpose  instead  of  wood,  less  animal  heat 
would  be  absorbed,  and  larger  honey-boxes  can  be  used  if  de- 
sired. 

PLATE  XXIII,  p.  1§6,  fig.  41.  Front  view  of  Improved  Chamber 
Hive. 

PLATE  XXIV,  p.  156,  fig.  42.  -Side  view  of  Improved  Chamber 
Hive. 

PLATE  XXV,  p.  156,  fig.  43.  -JJear  view  of  Improved  Chamber 
Hive. 

PLATE  XXVI,  p.  156,  fig.  44.  Chamber  Floor  of  improved  Cham- 
ber Hive. 

PPATE  XXVI,  p.  156,  fig.  45.   Honey-box. 

PLATE  XXVII,  p.  157,  fig.  46.  Storifying  Hive. 

PLATE  XXVIII,  p.  183,  fig.  47.   Bee  Shade. 


Washing^ 


EXPLANATION   OF  THE  PLATES.  XI 

PLATE  XXIX,  p.  185,  fig.  48.  Roll  of  Cotton  Stuff  on  fire,  the 

smoke  of  which  is  used  to  conquer  Bees. 
PLATE  XXIX,  p.  185,  fig.  49.  Wing. 

"  "        fig.  50.   Pocket  Knife. 

"  "        fig.  51.   Carving  Knife. 

"  "       fig.  52.   Queen  Cage. 

"  "        fig.  53.  Tool  used  for  cutting  Comb,  etc. 

"  "        fig.  54.   Tool  used  for  cutting  Comb,  etc. 

PLATE  XXX,  p.  199,  fig.  55.   Hive  with  Collateral  Honey  Box 

and  Ventilating  Block  separate. 
PLATE  XXXI,  p.  239,  fig.  56.   Swarms  of  Bees. 
PLATE  XXXII,  p.  248,  fig.  57.   Swarm  Net  aflixed  to  Hive  to  catch 

a  Swarm. 

PLATE  XXXIII,  p.  249,  fig.  58.   Hiving  Swarm  from  the  Net. 
PLATE  XXXIV,  p.  264,  fig.  59.   Queen  Nursery. 
PLATE  XXXV,  p.  266,  fig.  60.   Queen  Nursery  with  Queen  Cells 

complete. 
PLATE  XXXVI,  p.  267,  fig.  61.   Section  of  Comb  with  Queen  Cells 

as  built  on  side  of  Worker  Comb. 

PLATE  XXXVI,  p.  267,  fig.  62.   Queen  Cell  as  built  on  edge  of  Comb. 
PLATE  XXXVII,  p.  268,  fig.  63.   Queen  Cell  as  destroyed  by  Queen. 

"  "       fig.  64.   Queen  Cell,  separate. 

PLATE  XXXVIII,  p.  268,  fig.  65.    Comb  with  Queen  inserted. 
PLATE  XXXIX,  p.  269,  fig.  66.  Hive  from  which  a  Colony  has 

been  separated. 

PLATE  XL,  p.  270,  fig.  67.   Hive  containing  Colony. 
PLATE  XLI,  p.  270,  fig.  68.   Comb  containing  Mature  Brood,  also 

Queen  Cell  inserted. 
PLATE  XLII,  p.  293,  fig.  69.   Driving  Bees  from  Hive. 

"  "       fig.  70.   Transferring  Comb. 

PLATE  XLIII,  p.  294,  fig.  71.   Fitting  Comb  to  Frame. 

"  "       fig.  72.   Frame  for  receiving  Comb. 

PLATE  XLIV,  p.  306,  fig.  73.   Feed  Box. 
PLATE  XLV,  p.  381,  fig.  74.   Italian  Queen. 
"  "        fig.  75.   Italian  Drone. 


Xll  EXPLANATION  OP  THE  PLATES. 

PLATE  XLV,  p.  381,  fig.  76.  Italian  Worker. 

"  "fig-  77.  The  Ovary  of  a  Queen,  highly  mag- 

nified. (Fig.  77  is  copied  from  "  Hive  and  Honey  Bee.") 
PLATE  XL VI,  p.  401,  fig.  78.  Nest  of  Stingless  Honey  Bees. 
PLATE  XL VII,  p.  413,  fig.  79.  Fumigator. 

"  "      fig.  80.  Wire  Cylinder. 

"  "      fig.  81.  Roll  of   Cotton  Stuff  prepared  for 

burning  in  Fumigator. 


PREFACE. 


THE  following  treatise  is  not  designed  to  supersede  or  sup- 
plant the  numerous  and  valuable  works  upon  the  same  subject 
which  have  already  been  given  to  the  public  ;  but,  like  each 
of  them,  to  add  something  to  the  stock  of  general  knowledge, 
and  illustrate  and  enforce  some  particular  points  in  the  import- 
ant science  of  Bee-Keeping.  It  has  been  the  endeavor  of  the 
author,  as  far  as  possible,  to  shun  all  theorizing,  and  confine 
himself  to  a  practical  application  of  those  scientific  principles 
which  experience  has  taught  him  to  be  the  true  basis  of  suc- 
cess in  all  laudable  undertakings. 

The  following  pages  are  the  result  of  the  author's  personal 
attention  to  the  Apiary  in  all  its  details,  through  a  period  of 
nearly  twenty  years,  during  which  time  he  has  spared  neither 
time,  labor  nor  money  to  supply  himself  with  all  the  published 
writings,  and  a  knowledge  of  all  the  practical  facts  pertaining 
to  the  culture  of  the  Honey  Bee.  Wherefore,  he  hopes  that 
his  book  may  be  received  as  it  is  intended — as  a  reliable  direct- 
ory for  those  who  wish  to  learn  the  science  of  Bee-Keeping, 
or  the  daily,'  practical  workings  of  the  Apiary.  He  claims 
no  literary  merit  for  the  work  ;  strictures,  therefore,  upon  this 
department,  can  inure  to  the  benefit  of  the  author  in  but  a 


XIV  PKEFACE, 

very  limited  degree ;  but  npoe  the  subject  matter  of  the  work 
he  invites  the  most  thorough  criticism1. 

Having  been  compelled  to  write  in  the  midst  of  other  ab- 
sorbing labors,  freedom  from  errors  cannot  be  anticipated ;  if, 
however,  one  of  these  errors  should  be  found  in  a  failure  to 
give  due  credit  to  authors  whose  works  have  assisted  me,  I  beg 
pardon  in  advance  ;  for  I  have,  in  all  cases,  intended  to  gfve 
such  credit ;  and  in  this  connection,  my  sincere  thanks  are  due 
to  the  authors  of  "  The  Honey  Bee,"  by  Betao,  Quimby's 
"  Mysteries  of  Bee-Keeping  Explained,"  Langstroth's  "  Hive 
and  Honey  Bee,"  Jaeger's  "  Life  of  North  American  Insects," 
and  many  individuals  of  practical  experience,  for  facts  and 
information  ;  in  the  latter  connection,  I  am  especially  indebted 
to  0.  C.  WHEELER,  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  California 
State  Agricultural  Society. 

Hoping  that  the  reader  may  find  as  much  profit  in  the  pe- 
rusal, as  the  author  has  in  the  preparation  of  the  work,  it  is 
cordially  submitted  to  a  generous  public,  by 

J.  S.  HARBISON. 


i  i  V  JtlKSJL  1  I 


i  i  V  JtlK 
ifO 


INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY. 

BY   O.    C.    WHEELER,  A.  M. 


THE  ORIGIN  Am  HISTORY  OF  THE  HONEY  BEE. 

Itf  ttte  absence  of  historical  data  concerning'  the  origin  and 
history  of  the  noney  bee,  we  are  compelled  to  rely  upon  well 
known  collateral  facts,  and  the  inevitable  deductions  of  anal- 
ogy ;  yet  these  often  Constitute  evidence  as  strong,  and  produce 
convictions  as  clear  as  the  most  direct  and  positive  testimony. 

Should  we  assume  that  this  most  useful  and  exemplary  insect 
was  among  the  "Living  Creatures11  made  by  Deity  prior  to 
the  creatiojj  of  man,  the  following  arguments  come  to  our  sup- 
port, unbidden  as  sidereal  luminaries  to  the  relief  of  night — 
clear  as  a  vernal  stream,  leaping  from  its  snowy  source,  down 
the  mountain's  side— resistless  as  the  ocean's  swelling  surges : 

1st,  Otter  .classes  of  creatures,  not  as  important  to  the  sup- 
ply of  human  wants,  and  the  .early  interests  of  man,  were  cer- 
tainly among  the  labors  of  the  original  "  six  days." 

2d.  The  fact  just  stated,  aside  from  their  excellence,  per  se, 
proves  that  this  insect  was  of  sufficient  importance  to  have 
been  one  of  the  very  early  subjects  of  creative  genius  and  power. 


XVI  ORIGIN  AND  HISTORY 

3d.  Man's  primeval  state  very  strongly  called  for — perhaps 
absolutely  demanded— just  such  an  article  as  the  honey  bee 
would  produce. 

4th.  To  have  neglected  to  provide  a  creature  so  easy  of  pro- 
duction, so  important  in  the  scale  of  being,  and  above  all,  so 
very  essential  to  the  comfort  of  man,  "  for  whom  all  things 
were  made,"  would  have  been  totally  discordant  with  the  well 
known  principles  of  universal  Divine  benevolence. 

5th.  History  testifies  positively  to  the  existence  and  working 
of  the  bee,  within  a  comparatively  short  time  after  the  general 
creation. 

6th.  History  neither  records,  mentions  or  makes  the  remotest 
allusion  to  any  subsequent  act  of  creation,  either  of  this  or  any 
other  creature,  save  woman — the  "better  half"  of  man  himself. 

7th.  Both  the  laws  of  physiology  and  the  principles  of  anal- 
ogy forbid  the  conjecture  that  it  may  be  a  hybrid  race,  result- 
ing from  the  intercommunication  of  some  two  other  preceding 
species. 

8th.  There  was  no  law,  physical,  moral  or  divine,  to  inter- 
fere with  or  to  preclude  such  a  creation,  among  the  labors  of 
that  great  fundamental  " week" 

9th.  Since  we  know  that  the  Creator  did  prepare  a  garden 
with  blooming  flowers  and  ripening  fruit,  for  the  sustenance 
and  the  pleasure  of  man,  to  which  He  introduced  him  on  the 
very  morning  of  his  creation  ;  and  since  honey  was  so  import- 
ant to  man's  comfort  and  happiness,  we  have  not  only  no  rea- 
son to  doubt,  but  the  strongest  possible  reasons  for  believing 
that  He  also  provided  this  fundamental  saccharinum,  prepared 
in  nature's  own  refinery — and  that  our  first  parents  actually 
found  "  honey  and  the  honey-comb  "  in  the  garden,  among  "  the 


OF  THE  HONEY  BEE.  XV11 

good  thing's  of  God,"  which  everywhere  greeted  their  first 
morning  stroll  through  the  avenues  of  Paradise, 

It  is  certain  that  no  song  of  birds  in  Eden's  bower  could 
surpass  the  mellifluous  hum  of  the  bee ;  no  sportive  gambol, 
circling  flight,  or  sudden  dart,  or  graceful  curve  of  sparrow  OB 
the  wing,  could  equal  the  grace  and  beauty,  the  action  and  the 
science  of  her  aerial  sports  or  daily  duties;  nor  could  the 
combined  aroma  and  symmetrical  form  of  the  thousand  para- 
disian flowers  compare  with  the  sweetness  of  her  honey,  and 
the  garniture  of  her  store-house.  Hence,  no  portion  of  the 
garden,  which  Adam  was  directed  to  "  keep  and  dress,"  could 
have  presented  greater  attractions  to  his  attention,  or  stronger 
claims  upon  his  care  and  protection. 

Sugar,  separated  from  its  source,  and  prepared  for  tise  by 
the  hand  of  man,  is  of  recent  origin ;  but  honey  "  was  of  old," 
among  the  first  of  good  things,  among  the  best  of  first  things — 
the  one,  a  creation  of  God ;  the  other,  an  invention  of  man — 
the  one  had  entire  dominion  for  thousands  of  years ;  the  other 
has  enjoyed  partial  sway  in  very  modern  times. 

Nor  was  this  busy  collector  of  nature's  sweetest  products 
left,  like  many  of  the  other  classes  of  unintelligent  creatures,  to- 
withstand  the  changes  of  a  precarious  world  alone.  Man  came 
to  her  early  protection  from  danger,  and  her  aid  in  toil ;  he 
built  her  a  house  to  exclude  the  cold,  break  the  winds  and 
shelter  from  the  storm.  Thus,  her  divinely  appointed  protect- 
or became  at  once  her  patron  and  a  pensioner  upon  her  bounty. 
Man's  early  companion  and  blessing,  she  repaid  his  care  by 
soothing  the  sorrow  of  his  apostacy,  sweetening  the  cup  of  his 
bitterest  woe,  and  restoring  the  vigor  of  his  toil-worn  frame 

In  view  of  her  relations  to  human  weal,  she  was  furnished 


XV1U  ORIGIN  AND   HISTORY 

a  niche  in  the  house  of  Noah  and  his  family,  during  the  three 
hundred  and  seventy  days'  voyage  from  the  former  to  the  lat- 
ter world ;  and  was,  during  this  protracted  confinement,  the 
object  of  as  anxious  daily  care  as  the  most^delicate  or  superb 
animal  intrusted  to  the  keeping  of  the  patriarch  of  the  deluge. 

Nor  did  she  fail,  under  the  fostering  care  of  her  protector 
after  the  flood,  to  fulfill  the  divine  behest,  "  multiply  and  re- 
plenish the  earth ;"  for  we  find,  at  an  early  subsequent  day — 
long  before  the  captivity  in  Egypt — that  honey  was  considered 
not  only  an  important  article  of  commerce,  but  one  of  the 
"  best  fruits  of  the  land,"*  and  fit  to  be  made  an  offering  to  a 
king,  whose  favor  might  be  life — whose  frown  must  be  death. 

This  plenteousness  is  more  than  asserted;  it  is  illustrated 
when  the  sacred  penmanf  associates  it  with  "  milk,"  and  "  but- 
ter," and  "  fat  of  lambs,"  and  "  wine ;"  and  also  whenj  as  drop- 
ping like  rain,  lying  upon  the  ground  in  the  comb.  Another, 
with  the  pen  of  inspiration^  makes  it  as  common  as  "  flour," 
and  "  oil,"  and  "  bread ;"  and  another,  still,||  connects  it  with 
"locusts,"  which  were  frequently  so  plenty  as  to  eat  up 
"  every  green  thing,"  and  when  in  flight  to  obscure  the  light 
of  a  noon-day  sun ;  while  the  oft-repeated  expression  of  various 
contributors  to  the  sacred  volume  is,  that  the  land  of  Canaan 
"  flowed  with  milk  and  honey." 

Divine  wisdom  has  also  brought  to  view  the  power  and 
importance  of  the  honey  bee,  by  a  variety  of  strongly  expres- 
sive allusions.  In  one  place**  it  is  said,  "  They  compassed  me 
about  like  bees ;"  and  in  another,ff  "  The  Amorites  *  *  * 


*  Gen.  43:  11.    t  Deut.  32 :  13,  14.    *  1  Sam.  14 :  25-30.    §  Ezek.  16 :  13,  19. 
II  Matt.  3:  4.    **Ps.ll8:  12.    ft  Deut.  1:  44. 


' 


OP  THE  HONEY  BEE.  XIX 

came  out  against  you,  and  chased  you  as  bees  do,  and  destroyed 
you." 

Honey  was  also  considered  a  great  delicacy.  Was  a  king 
to  give  a  sumptuous  repast,  or  a  queen  invited  to  a  special 
banquet  ?  was  an  exhausted  soldier  to  be  revived,  or  an  invalid 
prince  to  be  nourished  ?  honey  was  an  universal  accompaniment 
of  the  most  nutritive  and  costly  articles  of  harmless  diet. 

As  far  back  as  human  records  extend  ;  in  as  free  and  full 
expressions  as  human  pen  can  give,  testimony  to  the  culture, 
the  importance,  and  the  value  of  the  honey  bee  is  universal 
and  abundant.  On  every  page  of  history  we  meet  her  name  ; 
in  every  volume  of  political  economy  or  domestic  industry  her 
diligence  is  the  motto  ;  in  the  sweetest  strains  of  Parnassus,  her 
cheerful  "  hum  "  is  the  key-note — everywhere,  and  at  all  times, 
her  products  have  "  lightened  "  the  darkest  hours  of  grief  and 
sweetened  the  bitterest  cups  of  human  woe ;  while  her  industry 
has  both  urged  and  inspired  man  to  higher  aims  and  nobler 
achievements. 

41  So  work  the  honey  bees, 
Creatures  that,  by  a  rule  hi  nature,  teach 
The  art  of  order  to  a  peopled  kingdom," 

that  philosophers  have  embellished  their  most  brilliant  attain- 
ments by  the  hues  of  her  character,  statesmen  have  given 
strength  to  empire  by  copying  her  colonial  system,  and  war- 
riors have  become  conquerors  by  emulating  her  courage. 

While  the  ancients  studied  assiduously,  and  wrote  volumin- 
ously upon  the  natural  history  of  the  honey  bee,  yet  it  is  a 
strange  fact,  that  after  the  first  simple  hive — a  home  with  one 
room,  perhaps  first  used  by  the  father  of  our  race  to  convey  a 
swarm  with  him  to  the  wilderness  when  expelled  from  Para- 


XX  ORIGIN  AND  HISTORY 

dise — thousands  of  years  passed  without  any  known  effort  to 
improve  the  comforts  of  her  house,  or  the  facilities  for  econ- 
omy in  her  products,  by  multiplying  the  number  of  apartments 
and  introducing  a  system  of  ventilation. 

Little  as  is  now  generally  known  of  the  economy  of  bee- 
keeping, writers  upon  the  subject  have  been  far  more  numerous 
than  on  almost  any  kindred  topic. 

Democritus,  who  wrote  upon  this  theme  four  hundred  years 
B.  C.,  had  already  been  preceded  by  more  than  five  hundred 
authors  on  bees  and  bee-keeping,  among  whom  are  several  not 
unknown  to  fame  in  the  world  of  letters.  Those  have  been 
succeeded  by  a  constellation  of  illuminating  brilliants  in  each 
succeeding  age  ;  generally  teaching  without  first  having  learned, 
and  always  failing,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  to  afford  reliable 
information  and  clear  illustration  to  the  reader  and  the  learner. 
In  tracing  this  line  of  authors  on  this  subject  for  three  thou- 
sand years,  we  find  the  names  of  Aristomachus,  who  made 
bees — their  character  and  habits — his  study  for  fifty-eight 
years  ;  Philistratus,  who  became  so  absorbed  in  the  study  that 
he  retired  to  the  wilderness  and  desert,  and  spent  near  a  score 
of  years  in  learning  their  nature  and  instincts,  when  untram- 
meled  by  man  ;  Aristotle,  whose  writings  show  the  most  per- 
fect familiarity  with  the  details  of  the  apiary  in  his  day  ;  Col- 
umella,  who  tells  us  that  the  Greeks  were  the  first  to  turn  the 
products  of  the  bee  to  commercial  account,  and  that  the  idea 
originated  on  Mt.  Hymettus,  after  the  return  of  Cecrops  from 
Egypt  to  Attica ;  Ceci,  President  of  the  Roman  Academy  of 
Sciences  ;  Madam  Merian,  who  beautifully  illustrates  the  met- 
amorphosis of  the  insects  ;  Maraldi,  who,  in  1712,  invented  the 
glass  hive,  thus  preparing  the  way  for  the  experiments  of 


OF  THE  HONEY  BEE.  XXI 

Reaumer,  Hunter,  Schirach  and  Huber.  There  are  also  the 
names  of  Solin,  Menus,  John  of  Lebanon,  Misland,  Aristeus, 
Galen,  Yarro,  Aldrovandus,  Yirgil,  Monfet,  Pliny,  Boer, 
Wildman,  Nutt,  Cotton,  Briggs,  Bay,  Willoughby,  Liste,  But- 
ler,  Purchass,  Warder,  White,  Thorley,  Keys  and  Bonner,  (not 
given  in  chronological  order,  but  as  they  occur  to  the  mind  at 
the  moment  of  writing)  and  an  almost  endless  host  of  others. 

These  writings  are,  at  the  present  day,  mostly  unextant ;  but 
were  not  unfrequently  as  grossly  in  error  as  Yirgil  was  when, 
in  his  Georgics,  he  favored  the  idea  previously  advanced,  that 
bees  originated  in  the  putrid  bodies  of  deceased  animals — an 
opinion,  perhaps,  traceable  to  the  fact  that  a  swarm  was  once 
found  in  the  carcass  of  a  dead  lion. 

In  1646,  De  Montfet  published  a  treatise  entitled  "THE 
PORTRAIT  OF  THE  HONEY  FLY — ITS  YIRTUES,  FORM,  AND 
INSTRUCTIONS — How  TO  REAP  ADVANTAGES  FROM  THEM." 

Three  years  later,  there  was  printed,  at  Antwerp,  another 
work,  under  the  title,  "THE  SPRING  OF  THE  HONEY  FLY, 
DIVIDED  INTO  Two  PARTS,  IN  WHICH  WILL  BE  FOUND  A 
CURIOUS,  TRUE  AND  NEW  HISTORY  OF  THE  ADMIRABLE  AND 
NATURAL  CONDUCT  OF  THE  BEE,  DRAWN  SOLELY  FROM  THE 
HAND  OF  EXPERIENCE."  But  it  was  a  century  and  a  half 
later  before  Maraldi,  Reaumer  and  Swammerdam,  by  their  dis- 
sections and  experiments,  gave  to  the  world  the  first  true  light 
upon  the  natural  history  of  the  honey  bee. 

They  discovered  the  sex  of  bees ;  and  Schirach  the  fact  that 
a  queen  can  be  raised  by  the  workers,  from  a  common  egg,  by 
constructing  a  peculiar  cell  and  supplying  appropriate  food  to 
the  young  larvae  ;  while  Reims  discovered  the  "  fertile  worker  ;" 
all  of  whom  were  followed  by  that  most  wonderful  experi- 


ERRATA. 


On  page  33,  twentieth  line,  (in  a  small  portion  of  the  edition)  the 
word   "  California"  has,  by  a  slip  of  the  types,  been  divided,  and 
the  three  first  letters  placed  at  the  commencement  of  the  sentence. 
Page  64,  twentieth  line,  "  fig.  21,"  should  read  "  fig.  11." 
Page  77,  fifteenth  line,  "  plate  II,"  should  read  "  plate  III." 
Page  301,  last  line,  should  read  "  bees  can  subsist,"  etc. 


CHAPTEK    I. 

EXPERIENCE  IN  BEE-KEEPING. 


Invention  of  the  California  Hive, 33 


28  EXPERIENCE. 

price,  thus  destroying  the  great  incentive  to  improve- 
ment. 

Owing  to  the  inaccessible  nature  of  these  rudely 
constructed  hives,  they  were  generally  permitted  to 
stand  without  any  attention,  from  the  time  the  swarm 
was  hived,  until  they  were  either  killed  or  robbed. 

This  left  the  bees  to  battle  against  the  moths  and 
other  enemies  as  best  they  could. 

The  result  has  been  that  bees  have  become  scarce 
wherever  left  thus  severely  alone. 

The  chamber  hive  (or  Weeks'  hive  as  it  was 
called)  was  first  brought  to  my  notice  in  the  spring 
of  1844,  and  after  using  them  extensively  in  various 
forms  for  a  period  of  four  years,  I  found  that  they 
answered  but  the  one  additional  purpose  over  the 
common  square  box,  viz :  to  furnish  surplus  honey 
in  boxes  in  a  more  desirable  form. 

Many  hives  with  various  patented  devices  attached 
were  brought  to  my  notice  during  this  period.  Some 
of  the  most  promising  I  tried  thoroughly,  but  found 
none  of  them  to  possess  any  considerable  advantages 
over  the  common  chamber  hive. 

The  success  which  attended  my  efforts  at  bee-keep- 
ing previous  to  1848,  although  good,  was  not  such 
as  I  believed  could  be  attained. 

The  lack  of  system  and  uniformity  of  hives,  as 
well  as  the  impeufect  arrangement  of  the  latter, 
caused  such  an  amount  of  labor  as  to  render  bee- 
keeping both  a  small  and  uncertain  business. 

Flat-bottomed  hives  allow  the  filth  to  accumulate, 


EXPERIENCE.  29 

(the  bees  frequently  being  unable  to  remove  all  of  it) 
furnishing  the  moth  a  safe  deposit  for  her  eggs,  and 
food  for  her  progeny. 

To  remedy  this  defect  I  made  an  inclined  bottom 
board,  not  that  the  thing  was  new  but  an  improvement. 
Instead  of  making  the  main  incline  movable,  as  was 
then  the  practice  when  used,  I  made  it  stationary, 
and  added  an  inclined  front  slide,  held  in  place  by 
means  of  wedges,  so  that  it  could  be  taken  out,  for 
the  purpose  of  examining  the  combs  and  removing 
the  filth,  and  returned  to  its  place  with  facility. 

This  style  of  bottom  enables  the  bees  themselves 
to  keep  their  hives  better  freed  from  worms  than 
could  well  be  done  by  such  occasional  cleanings  as 
are  given  to  flat-bottomed  hives  by  most  bee-keepers. 

After  having  used  this  improved  inclined  bottom 
for  twelve  years,  I  find  that  it  gives,  as  it  always  has 
done,  perfect  satisfaction.  No  bee-keeper  who  has 
regard  to  his  own  convenience  or  pecuniary  interest, 
can  afford  to  do  without  it,  notwithstanding  it  costs 
more  at  first  than  the  old  arrangement. 

Another  want  which  I  felt,  was  a  hive  so  arranged 
that  the  bees  together  with  their  combs  and  contents 
could  be  transferred  with  safety  from  one  hive  to 
another,  either  for  the  purpose  of  renovation  or  the 
formation  of  artificial  colonies.  In  other  words,  I 
wanted  control  of  the  comb. 

To  supply  these  wants  I  constructed  a  hive  with  a 
movable  glass  frame  in  the  rear,  and  a  door  to  cover 
it  and  the  surplus  honey  boxes  above. 


30  EXPERIENCE. 

Having  thus  obtained  easy  access  to  the  interior  of 
the  hive,  I  next  constructed  a  movable  platform 
within  the  hive,  on  which  the  combs  were  adjusted, 
and  the  whole  so  elevated  that  the  bees  fastened  the 
combs  to  the  top  of  the  hive.  This  plan  I  found  to 
work  well. 

These  improvements,  together  with  the  chamber 
for  surplus  honey,  gave  a  hive  well  suited  to  the 
wants  of  the  bee,  and  hence  a  greater  yield  of  honey. 

The  annual  mortality  of  bees  in  these  hives,  as 
compared  with  those  in  common  hives,  I  found  to  be 
enough  less  to  amply  pay  the  diiference  in  the  first 
cost,  thus  making  an  annual  profit  thereafter. 

At  the  time  of  making  the  above  improvements, 
(fall  of  1848)  I  had  become  the  owner  of  eight 
hives  of  bees,  (farther  additions  were  afterwards 
made  to  my  stock  by  purchase)  all  of  which  I  trans- 
ferred into  the  improved  hive,  and  increased  partly 
by  natural  swarming,  and  partly  by  artificial  divis- 
ion. My  success  was  such  that  in  1853  I  sold  up- 
wards of  6,300  Ibs.  of  honey,  at  an  average  price  of 
eighteen  cents  per  Ib. 

But,  in  1854,  an  unprecedented  drought  occurred 
throughout  many  portions  of  the  United  States,  which 
cut  short  the  growing  crops.  The  bee  pasture  was 
so  deficient  that  but  few  localities  yielded  any  honey 
for  market,  and  in  most  places  the  bees  laid  up  so 
small  a  store  that  a  large  majority  of  them  died  dur- 
ing the  following  winter. 

I  escaped  with  the  loss  of  about  one-half  of  my 


EXPERIENCE.  81 

stock,  while  most  of  my  neighbors  lost  over  four- 
fifths,  and  others  lost  all. 

In  anticipation  of  such  loss,  I  concluded  to  try  and 
retrieve  my  fortune  in  California.  In  pursuance  of 
this  resolution,  I  sailed  from  New  York  October  the 
27th,  1854,  and  landed  at  San  Francisco  November 
the  20th  of  the  same  year. 

After  a  residence  of  two  and  a  half  years  in  Cali- 
fornia, I  returned  East,  and  arrived  at  my  old  home 
on  the  2d  of  June,  1857. 

During  my  absence,  Quinby's  "  Mysteries  of  Bee- 
keeping Explained,"  and  "  Langstroth  on  the  Honey 
Bee,"  (both  valuable  works)  had  been  introduced 
into  the  libraries  of  some  of  the  bee-keepers,  where 
I  saw  and  read  them  for  the  first  time. 

The  Langstroth  hive  had  also  been  introduced  into 
a  number  of  apiaries,  ours  among  others.  From 
the  glowing  accounts  which  I  had  Heard  of  it  while 
in  California,  I  expected  to  find  the  desideratum  long 
sought  for  by  apiarists,  and  as  a  result  of  its  introduc- 
tion into  our  apiaries,  that  they  would  be  in  a  highly 
flourishing  condition,  particularly  that  portion  of  the 
stock  contained  in  the  new  style  of  hive.  In  this  I 
was  doomed  to  disappointment,  as  most  of  the  bees 
that  had  been  put  into  them  had  died  of  starvation, 
they  having  eaten  all  the  stores  from  the  bottom  to 
the  top  of  the  hive,  in  the  center  of  a  diameter  equal 
to  the  size  of  the  cluster,  leaving  an  abundance  of 
stores  still  within  the  hive,  but  owing  to  the  severe 
cold,  the  bees  were  unable  to  reach  them. 


32  EXPERIENCE. 

As  an  offset  to  this,  I  found  that  the  bees  in  my 
old  improved  hive  were  strong  and  vigorous,  proving 
most  conclusively  the  superiority  of  a  hive  deep  from 
top  to  bottom,  over  low  flat  ones.* 

The  worms  were  also  much  more  troublesome  and 
destructive  in  the  Langstroth  than  any  other  hive, 
unless  more  frequently  overhauled. 

From  my  previous  experience,  I  was  satisfied  that 
although  the  Langs troth'hive  did  not  fulfill  its  promise, 
yet  that  the  movable  comb  principle  possessed  some 
important  advantages  over  all  others.  With  these 
views,  I  went  to  work  and  rei'ntroduced  bees  into  a 
number  of  hives  from  which  the  previous  swarms  had 
died,  and  constructed  others  of  a  greater  depth,  but 
less  in  width  and  length.  Into  these  I  put  a  consid- 
erable number  of  natural  swarms,  also  transfers  and 
divisions.  I  was  then  prepared  to  test  the  merits  of 
the  Langstroth  nive  by  varied  and  extensive  use,  the 
result  of  which  showed  the  following  defects  to  exist : 
First,  The  frames  being  simply  suspended  on  rabbets, 
rendered  it  difficult  to  space  them  with  the  necessary 
precision ;  for,  if  the  space  is  insufficient,  the  bees 
shorten  the  cells  on  the  side  of  one  comb,  thus  rend- 
ering that  side  useless ;  and  if  placed  more  than  the 
usual  width,  it  requires  a  greater  amount  of  bees  to 
hover  the  brood,  as  also  to  raise  the  temperature  to  the 


*  The  same  result  has,  in  a  great  measure,  attended  the  use  of 
the  respective  hives  throughout  that  section  of  country  since  that 
time. 


INVENTION    OF   THE   CALIFORNIA   HIVE.  33 

proper  degree  for  building  comb.  Second,  When 
the  combs  are  too  widely  spaced,  the  bees,  while  re- 
filling them  with  stores,  lengthen  the  cells,  and  thus 
make  the  comb  thick  and  irregular — the  application 
of  the  knife  is  then  the  only  remedy  to  reduce  them 
to  the  proper  thickness. 

Another  objection  to  the  suspended  frame,  is  the 
impossibility  of  removing  the  hives  containing  bees 
to  a  distance,  without  first  nailing  or  fastening  each 
frame  to  its  place  ;  and  to  get  control  of  them,  the 
hive  has  again  to  be  opened  and  the  frames  unfast- 
ened ;  all  of  which  requires  time  and  trouble,  to  say 
nothing  about  the  liability  of  being  stung  while  treat- 
ing the  bees  thus  rudely. 

After  a  fair  trial  of  the  Langstroth  hive  and  its 
working  capabilities,  compared  with  the  hive  which  I 
had  previously  used,  I  found  it  inferior,  and  accord- 
ingly determined  to  abandon  its  use  entirely. 

INVENTION   OF  THE   CALIFORNIA   HIVE. 

Immediately  after  my  arrival  in  California  with  bees, 
(fall  of  1857)  I  procured  lumber  and  other  material 
suitable  for  making  hives  on  my  old  plan.  After  cut- 
ting out  the  stuff  for  twenty,  and  completing  a  portion 
of  them,  I  became  satisfied  that  useful  improvements 
could  be  made.  What  I  wanted  was  a  hive  for  the 
use  of  my  own  bees  :  one  that  I  could  adapt  and  use 
to  the  exclusion  of  all  others,  so  long  as  I  continued 
the  business  of  bee-raising. 
9*  ' 


-34  EXPERIEXCE. 

With  this  view,  I  went  to  work,  and  after  many 
days  and  nights  of  close  study  and  experimenting, 
the  different  improvements  of  the  present  hive  were 
gradually  developed.  The  first  improvement — sec- 
tion honey  box,  (applicable  to  any  hive) — was  made 
December  the  25th,  1857.  The  second  improve- 
ment, the  adjustable  comb  frame  and  manner  of  its 
adjustment,  was  made  January  the  2d,  1858.  The 
third  improvement  was  the  manner  of  ventilation, 
made  January  the  4th,  1858  ;  and  the  fourth  improve- 
ment was  the  metallic  clamps  for  fastening  combs  into 
frames,  made  January  the  9th,  1858.  Other  improve- 
ments, as  well  as  slight  changes,  have  been  since 
made,  all  of  which  have  been  thoroughly  tested,  giv- 
ing entire  satisfaction  to  all  who  have  given  them  a 
fair  trial.  The  large  number  of  this  style  of  hive 
now  in  use  in  this  State,  within  so  short  a  time  as  has 
elapsed  since  its  invention,  is  good  evidence  of  its 
utility. 


CHAPTER    II. 

INTRODUCTION  OF   THE  HONEY   BEE  TO 
CALIFORNIA. 


CHAPTEE    II. 

INTRODUCTION  OF   THE   HONEY  BEE  TO 
CALIFORNIA. 


THE  introduction  of  the  HONEY  BEE  into  Califor- 
nia was  an  important  event,  and  engrossed  a  large 
share  of  public  attention  ;  wherefore  it  is  peculiarly 
appropriate  to  preserve  as  full  a  record  of  the  trans- 
action as  possible. 

The  following  letter  from  one  of  the  earliest  and 
most  successful  apiarists  of  this  State,  contains  an 
authentic  account  of  the  introduction  of  the  first 
bees  into  California,  as  well  as  the  success  attending 
their  first  five  years'  cultivation  in  San  Jose*  Valley. 

SAN  JOSE,  Jan.  llth,  1860. 
Mr.  J.  S.  HARBISON, 

Dear  Sir : — Yours  of  the  26th  December,  propounding  cer- 
tain inquiries,  has  been  received. 

The  first  bees  imported  into  California  was  in  March,  1853. 
Mr.  S  belt  on  purchased  a  lot  consisting  of  twelve  swarms,  of 
some  person  to  me  unknown,  at  Aspinwall.  The  party  who 
left  New  York  became  disgusted  with  the  experiment,  and 
returned.  All  of  the  hives  contained  bees  when  landed  in"  San 
Francisco,  but  finally  dwindled  down  to  one.  They  were 
brought  to  San  Jose  and  threw  off  three  swarms  the  first  sea- 
son. Mr.  Shelton  was  killed  soon  after  his  arrival,  by  the 
explosion  of  the  ill-fated  steamer  Jenny  Lind.  In  December, 


38  INTRODUCTION    TO    CALIFORNIA. 

two  of  the  swarms  were  sold  at  auction  to  settle  up  his  estate 
and  were  bought  by  Major  James  W.  Patrick,  at  $105 
and  $110,  respectively. 

Mr.  Wm.  Buck  imported  the  second  lot  in  November,  1855. 
He  left  New  York  with  thirty-six  swarms  and  saved  eighteen. 
I  purchased  a  half-interest  in  them.  I  also,  in  the  fall  of  1854, 
bought  one  swarm  of  Major  Patrick,  from  which  I  had  an 
increase  of  two. 

Mr.  Buck  returned  East  immediately,  and  arrived  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1856,  with  forty-two  swarms,  of  which  he  saved  but 
seven.  Our  increase  in  1856,  from  the  twenty-eight  swarms, 
was  seventy-three  ;  we  also  had  about  400  Ibs.  of  honey  in 
boxes,  which  we  sold  at  from  $1.50  to  $2.00  per  Ib. 

Mr.  Wm.  Briggs,  of  San  Jose,  brought  out,  spring  of  1856, 
one  swarm,  from  which  he  had  an  increase  of  seven  or  eight 
swarms  the  following  summer. 

The  above  were  the  only  importations  I  know  of  prior  to 
the  year  (spring)  1857,  which   covers  the  ground  of  your  ii£" 
quiries. 

There  are  in  our  county  at  this  time,  about  one  thousand 
swarms. 

Very  respectfully,  &c., 

F.  G.  APPLETON. 

The  first  hive  of  bees  ever  in  the  SACRAMENTO  VAL- 
LEY, was  brought  from  San  Jose*  in  the  summer  of 
1855,  by  Mr.  A.  P.  Smith,  the  eminent  nursery- 
man of  Sacramento  ;  they  however  soon  died,  which 
gave  the  impression  that  bees  would  not  do  well  in 
this  vicinity. 

In  this  belief  I  did  not  concur,  and  therefore  took 
measures  to  test  the  matter  further. 

In  the  fall  of  1855, 1  sent  East  and  had  one  hive 
of  bees  brought  out,  which  arrived  in  Sacramento 


IMPORTATION    OF    1857.  89 

February  the  1st,  1856.  Though  most  of  the  bees 
had  died  or  escaped  from  the  hive  during  the  passage 
enough  remained  to  prove  that  by  careful  handling 
they  could  be  imported  with  little  loss,  and  that  they 
would  increase  and  make  large  quantities  of  honey 
when  here. 

I  left  San  Francisco  May  the  5th,  1857,  on  board 
the  steamship  Golden  Gate,  on  my  way  East,  for  the 
purpose  of  preparing  a  stock  of  bees  for  shipping  to 
California. 

Sixty-seven  colonies  were  prepared  from  my  own 
apiaries,  situated  in  Lawrence  county,  Pennsylvania. 

They  were  taken  to  New  York,  and  shipped  on 
board  the  steamer  Northern  Light,  which  sailed  from 
that  port  November  the  5th,  bound  for  Aspinwall. 

The  bees  were  put  on  board  in  good  order,  were 
placed  on  the  hurricane  deck,^ept  well  shaded  and 
ventilated,  and  arrived  at  the  latter  port  on  the  15th 
of  the  same  month,  being  ten  days  from  port  to  port. 
Having  arrived  at  Aspinwall  in  the  forenoon,  and 
ascertained  that  no  passengers  or  freight  would  be 
sent  forward  before  the  next  morning,  I  obtained  per- 
mission to  open  the  hives  on  the  Company's  grounds, 
and  let  the  bees  fly  during  that  evening^  which 
greatly  relieved  them,  and  contributed  to  their  health 
during  the  remainder  of  the  voyage. 

The  hives  were  closed  up  and  placed  on  board  the 
cars,  crossed  safely  to  Panama,  and  reshipped  on 
board  the  steamer  Sonora,  which  sailed  from  that 
port  on  the  evening  of  the  16 th,  bound  for  San 


40  INTRODUCTION   TO    CALIFORNIA. 

Francisco,  where  she  arrived  on  the  evening  of  the 
30th.* 

The  bees  had  ample  stores  within  their  hives  before 
they  were  started,  to  last  them  through  their  long 
journey.  I  neither  watered  or  gave  them  any  addi- 
tional food  during  the  whole  trip,  except  what  they 
obtained  while  flying  out  at  Aspinwall. 

During  each  day's  confinement  the  bees  labored 
incessantly  to  gain  their  liberty,  but  as  soon  as  it 
was  dark  they  always  became  quiet,  and  remained  so 
during  the  night. 

At  San  Francisco  the  bees  were  transferred  from 
the  Sonora  to  the  steamer  New  World,  and  landed 
in  Sacramento  on  the  morning  of  December  the  2d, 
1857,  thus  terminating  a  journey  of  5,900  miles, 
which  was  at  that  time  the  longest  distance  that  bees 
had  been  known  to  be*  transported  at  one  continuous 
voyage.f 

On  opening  the  hives,  I  found  that  considerable 
numbers  of  bees  had  died  in  each,  and  that  in  five 


*There  were  other  importations  of  bees  made  during  the  win- 
ter of  1857  and  1858,  a  large  proportion  of  which  died. 

t  To  the  officers  and  agents  of  the  various  transportation  com- 
panies, over  whose  routes  I  passed  from  Newcastle,  Pennsylvania, 
to  Sacramento,  California,  particularly  Mr.  J.  F.  Joy,  agent, 
Panama  Railroad  Company,  Capt.  Tinklepaugh,  of  the  steamship 
Northern  Light,  and  Capt.  Whiting,  of  the  Sonora,  I  am  in- 
debted for  their  valuable  and  efficient  aid  in  securing  a  safe  trans- 
it, and  probably  the  most  successful  shipment  of  bees  ever  made 
to  California. 


IMPORTATION   OF    1858.  41 

all  were  dead,  having  been  destroyed  by  worms 
which  had  been  hatched  on  entering  the  warm 
climate  from  eggs  laid  by  the  moth  previous  to  start- 
ing. The  combs  were  entirely  enveloped  in  webs 
containing  the  worms,  and  were  a  perfect  ruin.  A 
few  worms  were  found  in  each  of  the  hives  contain- 
ing living  bees,  but  were  soon  exterminated. 

Some  hives  were  found  to  contain  so  few  bees  that 
they  were  united  with  other  weak  ones,  till  the  num- 
ber was  reduced  to  fifty. 

In  the  latter  part  of  January,  1858, 1  made  a  dis- 
covery which  has  since  been  verified  in  a  number  of 
instances.  All  the  bees  in  1;wo  hives  swarmed  out, 
leaving  them  entirely  deserted.  On  examining,  I 
found  young  brood,  the  combs  were  clean  and  healthy, 
and  each  hive  contained  some  six  or  eight  pounds  of 
honey.  But  it  was  nearly  all  sealed  up,  only  a  few 
cells  containing  honey  being  open. 

The  cause  of  their  deserting  was  then  a  mystery. 
as  they  had  apparently  all  the  requisites  to  do  well. 

I  finally  suspected  that,  owing  to  their  long  con- 
finement, and  frequent  passing  over  the  sealed  sur- 
face of  the  comb,  it  had  become  glazed  so  that  the 
bees  were  not  aware  that  they  possessed  so  ample  a 
store.* 


*In  the  spring  of  1859,  and  particularly  the  present  one, 
1860,  I  have  known  fhe  bees  (California-raised)  from  a  number  of 
hives,  to  leave  in  like  manner.  The  only  difference  was  that 
the  hives  were  not  over  half  full  of  combs.  But  these  were 
full  of  honey  and  tightly  sealed,  like  those  before  mentioned. 


42  INTRODUCTION    TO    CALIFORNIA. 

Acting  from  this  belief,  I  at  once  with  a  knife  un- 
capped a  portion  of  the  honey  in  each  remaining 
hive  ;  this  was  repeated  twice  a  week  for  the  two 
following  ones,  and  as  the  honey  became  scarce,  feed 
was  given  to  the  most  destitute.  The  result  was 
that  no  more  hives  were  deserted. 

There  was  no  indication  of  disease  of  any  kind 
existing  in  any  of  them.  Hence  there  is  no  doubt 
of  the  above  being  a  cause  of  bees  deserting  their 
hives. 

The  stock  was  still  further  reduced  by  sale,  so  that 
thirty-four  hives  of  bees  remained  on  the  1st  of 
April.  These  were  increased  to  one  hundred  and 
twenty,  most  of  which  were  sold  in  the  summer  and 
fall  of  that  year. 

Again,  on  the  steamer  of  September  the  20th, 
1858,  I  returned  East,  for  the  purpose  of  transport- 
ing another  stock,  which  had  been  prepared  for  that 
purpose  during  the  previous  summer.  On  the  6th 
of  December,  in  company  with  my  brother,  W.  C. 
Harbison,  I  sailed  from  New  York  with  one  hund- 
red and  fourteen  colonies,  and  arrived  at  Sacra- 
mento January  1st,  1859,  with  one  hundred  and 
three  living.  Of  this  importation,  sixty-eight  were 
from  Centralia,  Illinois  ;  the  remaining  forty-six  were 
from  Lawrence  county,  Pennsylvania. 

Owing  to  the  lateness  of  the  season  of  shipping, 
and  unfavorable  weather  during  the  first  three  weeks 
after  our  arrival,  we  were  only  able  to  save  sixty-two 
out  of  the  whole  number ;  these,  together  with  six 


IMPORTATION    OF    1858-9.  43 

"good  hives  remaining  from  the  previous  year,  we 
increased  to  four  hundred  and  twenty-two  (422)  colo- 
nies, including  the  sixty-eight  old  ones ;  three  hund- 
red of  them  filled  standard  hives,  and  the  remainder 
averaged  half  full. 

The  increase  was  all  made  on  the  artificial  princi- 
ple (as  laid  down  in  this  work) .  Not  a  single  natural 
swarm  issued  from  any  hive  during  the  whole  season. 
I  also  formed  a  large  number  of  colonies,  for  different 
parties  in  Sacramento  and  vicinity,  which  were  at- 
tended with  like  success. 

During  the  time  between  the  1st  of  October,  1858, 
and  April  1st,  1859,  there  were  shipped  from  New 
York  for  California,  over  one  thousand  hives  of  bees, 
not' over  two  hundred  of  which  survived  on  the  1st  of 
May  of  the  latter  year. 

All  but  three  of  the  parties  engaged  in  shipping 
them  lost  money  by  the  operation,  many  of  them 
being  unacquainted  with  the  business. 

Of  the  modes  of  importing  bees  to  California,  the 
most  novel  was  that  of  Mr.  J.  Gridley,  who  brought 
four  swarms  across  the  Plains  from  Michigan,  placed 
in  the  rear  end  of  a  spring  wagon.  He  arrived  in 
Sacramento  on  the  3d  of  August,  1859,  with  them, 
in  good  condition.  His  plan  was  to  feed  them,  and 
in  addition,  stop  occasionally  in  the  afternoon  and 
allow  the  bees  to  fly  out  and  work  till  dark,  when  they 
were  closed  up,  to  resume  their  journey  early  on  the 
following  morning.  This  was  repeated  from  time  to 
time,  as  they  required  their  liberty. 


44  INTRODUCTION   TO    CALIFORNIA. 

Notwithstanding  such  disastrous  results  attending" 
the  previous  years'  shipments,  there  were  upwards  of 
six  thousand  hives  of  bees  imported  during  the  winter 
of  1859-60.  They  arrived  in  better  condition  appar- 
ently than  those  of  previous  years  ;  yet,  owing  to  the 
fact  that  large  numbers  of  them  were  infected  with 
the  disease  known  as  foul  brood  prior  to  their  pur- 
chase and  shipment,  together  with  the  effects  of  so 
long  a  voyage,  probably  one-half  of  the  whole  num- 
ber were  lost.  Many  of  the  remainder  have  since 
died,  or  now  linger  in  a  diseased  condition,  which  is 
infinitely  worse  for  the  parties  owning  them  than  if 
all  had  died  at  once.  Thus,  the  result  has  been  bad 
for  all  concerned ;  for,  while  some  have  lost  their 
money,  others  have  injured  their  reputation,  besides 
paralyzing  for  a  time  an  important  branch  of  pro- 
ductive industry. 


CHAPTER    III. 

THE    HONEY    BEE:     CLASSIFICATION,   PHYSI- 
OLOGY AND    CHARACTERISTICS. 


The  Queen, 48 

When  Qneens  are  Bred, 48 

Impregnation  of  the  Queen, 51 

Sex  of  Eggs, 55 

Laying  and  Hatching  of  Eggs  and  Treatment  of  the  Young,  56 

Playing, 62 

Drone  Laying  Queen, 64 

External  Evidence  of  the  Loss  of  the  Queen, 65 

Internal  Evidence, 67 

The  Drone, 69 

The  Drone  killed  by  Workers, 70 

White-Headed  Drones, 71 

The  Worker, 71 

Wax  produced  by  Workers, 74 

Their  Industry, 76 

Fertile  Workers, 77 


OFTHK 

UNIVERSITY  '» 


Wash! 


CHAPTER    III. 

THE    HONEY    BEE:    CLASSIFICATION,    PHYSI- 
OLOGY AND   CHARACTERISTICS. 


Each  family  of  bees  is  composed,  (Curing  a  portion 
of  the  year,  of  three  classes — viz:  queen,  drones, 
and  workers.  During  the  remainder  there  are  only 
two — the  queen  and  workers,  or  developed  and  unde- 
veloped females.  (See  plate  1.) 

Fig.  1  represents  the  queen  life  size,  and  2,  mag- 
nified. 

3.  Drone  life  size,  and  4,  magnified. 

5.  Worker  life  size,  and  6,  magnified. 

7.  Anatomical  view  of  the  worker ;  a,  thorax  or 
pipe  through  which  the  honey  passes  from  the  mouth 
into  the  honey  sack  5,  and  c  the  intestines. 

8.  Worker  magnified,  showing  the  scales  of  wax 
as  they  exude  from  the  rings  of  the  belly  ;  a,  scales 
of  wax  separated  from  the  bee. 

9.  The  legs  of  a  worker  loaded  with  pollen. 

10.  Section  of  brood  comb  ;  in  the  center  is  seen 
a  queen  cell,  from  which  a  queen  has  emerged ;  on 
the  right,  drone  comb,  with  drone  brood  emerging ; 
on  the  left,  (where  the  queen  cell  is  attached)  worker 
comb,  with  worker  brood  emerging. 


48  CLASSIFICATION,    PHYSIOLOGY,    ETC. 

THE    QUEEN. 

The  queen,  or  mother,  is  the  only  perfectly  devel- 
oped female  in  the  hive.  Her  form  is  symmetrical 
and  .graceful ;  her  color,  on  the  back  and  sides,  is 
usually  of  a  dark  brown,  but  occasionally  of  a  slightly 
yellow  or  variegated  appearance  ;  while  the  belly 
and  legs  are  of  a  bright  copper  color. 

Strictly,  speaking,  the  queen  is  a  working  mother, 
rather  than  a  ruling  sovereign.  Her  main  office  is 
to  deposit  eggs  in  the  cells ;  which  is  proved  by  the 
fact  that  a  queenless  colony  continue  labor  with  nearly 
the  same  alacrity  as  though  they  possessed  one,  till 
finally  terminated  by  the  death  of  the  generation. 

WHEN  QUEENS  ARE  BRED. 

Bees,  if  left  to  themselves  to  swarm  in  the  natural 
way,  only  breed  queens  at  a  period  preparatory  to 
swarming,  or  to  supply  the  place  of  old  ones  about  to 
die.*  When  a  hive  is  sufficiently  full,  and  pasture 
abundant  at  the  season  when  instinct  prompts  them 
to  swarm,  from  five  to  eight  days  prior  to  the  first 

#1  have,  in  two  instances,  found  sealed  queens  (in  one  there 
were  three,  in  the  other,  one)  in  a  hive  not  half  full  of  comb,  with 
the  old  queen  still  laying  eggs,  although  so  decrepid  from  age,  or 
other  causes,  that  it  was  impossible  for  her  to  fly,  and  conse- 
quently could  not  accompany  a  swarm.  After  the  young  queen 
emerged,  there  were  no  more  eggs  deposited  for  about  ten  days, 
the  required  time  for  the  young  queen  to  become  fruitful.  During 
this  time,  the  old  queen  had  either  died  or  was  slain  by  her  suc- 
cessor. From  these  facts,  we  are  led  to  conclude  that  the  bees 
were  aware  of  the  approaching  death  of  the  queen,  and  thus 
wisely  provided  a  successor  while  it  was  in  their  power  to  do  so. 


WHEN   QUEENS   ARE   BRED.  49 

one  leaving,  they  form  a  number  of  queen  cells,  usu- 
ally from  three  to  eight,  in  which  the  queen  deposits 
eggs.  This  is  done  at  intervals  up  to  the  time  when 
the  first  swarm  departs,  at  which  time  one  or  more 
of  the  cells  are  sealed  ;  the  remaining  ones  are  sealed 
afterwards,  in  the  order  of  their  respective  ages,  all 
being  finished  by  the  sixth  day  after  the  swarm  has 
left,  (the  old  queen  invariably  accompanying  the  first 
swarm)  at  which  time,  or  within  twenty-four  hours 
thereafter,  (being  seven  days  from  the  departure  of 
the  first  swarm)  the  first  sealed  queen. emerges,  and 
usually  in  three  days  from  her  birth  she  accompanies 
the  second  swarm. 

The  second  queen  accompanies  a  third  swarm  on 
the  second  or  third  day  from  the  second ;  a  fourth, 
and  even  a  fifth  swarm  sometimes  follow,  at  intervals 
of  every  other  day.  All  the  swarms  from  the  same 
hive  must  depart  within  nineteen  days  from  the  time 
the  first  one  left;  after  which  time  no  more  can 
depart  for  a  period  of  from  forty  to  sixty  days  : 
instances  of  a  hive  swarming  at  a  second  period  dur- 
ing the  same  season  are  rare.  Bees  also  rear  queens 
from  worker  larvae,  when  deprived  of  their  queen.* 

*  "  The  fact  is  said  to  have  been  known  long  before  Schirach 
wrote  :  M.  Vogel  and  Signer  Monticelli,  a  Neapolitan  professor, 
have  both  asserted  this  ;  the  former  states  it  to  have  been  known 
upwards  of  fifty  years,  the  latter  a  much  longer  period  ;  he  says 
that  the  Greeks  and  Turks  in  the  Ionian  Islands  are  well  acquainted 
with  it,  and  that  in  the  little  Sicilian  Island  of  Faviguana, 
the  art  of  producing  queens  has  been  known  from  very  remote 
antiquity  ;  he  even  thinks  that  it  was  no  secret  to  the  Greeks  and 
Romans." — Bevan.  3 


50  CLASSIFICATION,   PHYSIOLOGY,   ETC. 

It  is  on  this  fact  that  artificial  division  or  formation 
of  colonies,  is  founded. 

When  a  number  of  queen  cells  remain  in  a  hive 
that  does  not  intend  to  swarm  any  more,  the  first 
queen  out  destroys  all  her  embryo  sister  queens,  by 
gnawing  into  the  cells,  and  either  biting  or  stinging 
them.  The  workers  then  carry  out  the  dead  and 
demolish  the  mutilated  cells  ;  this  is  usually  done  the 
first  day  of  the  existence  of  the  queen. 

If  it  is  intended  that  other  swarms  shall  issue,  the 
royal  cells  are  not  destroyed.  But  after  the  swarms 
have  all  departed,  the  remaining  royal  pupa  is  de- 
stroyed. 

It  has  been  asserted  that  the  bees  guard  the  royal 
cells  from  the  attacks  of  the  queen.  This  statement 
I  consider  mere  assertion,  not  founded  on  fact.  My 
reasons  for  this  belief  are,  first,  that  the  instinct  of  the 
bees  (the  queen  included)  is  perfect  in  every  par- 
ticular relating  to  their  increase.  Then  why  guard 
the  cells  ?  Second,  I  have  in  two  instances  seen  a 
young  queen  running  over  and  around  the  royal  cells, 
stopping  every  two  or  three  minutes,  and  with  her 
wings  making  the  piping  noise.* 

The  bees  neither  seemed  to  notice  her,  or  the 
royal  cells.  Whether  the  workers  had  previously 
given  her  to  understand  that  she  must  not  molest 
them,  or  that  they  ever  prevent  a  queen  from  doing 
so,  is  more  than  I  can  tell,  notwithstanding  Huber, 

*  This  discovery  is  due  to  A.  Harbison. 


IMPREGNATION   OF   THE   QUEEN.  51 

Langstroth,  and  other  authors  assure  us  that  such  is 
the  fact. 

Mr.  Quinby  expresses  his  views  as  follows  : 
"  It  is  stated  that  when  the  bees  decide  an  after 
swarm  shall  issue,  the  first  queen  matured  is  not 
allowed  to  leave  her  cell,  but  is  kept  a  prisoner  there, 
and  fed  until  wanted  to  go  forth  with  the  swarm. 
This  may  be  true  in  some  cases,  (though  not  satis- 
factorily proved)  but  I  am  quite  sure  it  is  not  in  all. 
"  When  she  is  confined  to  her  cell,  how  does  she 
ascertain  the  presence  of  others  ?  By  leaving  the 
cell  this  knowledge  is  easily  obtained.  Huber  says 
she  does,  and  is  '  enraged  at  the  existence  of  others, 
and  endeavors  to  destroy  them  while  yet  in  the  cell, 
which  the  workers  will  not  allow ;  this  is  so  irritating 
to  her  majesty  that  she  utters  this  peculiar  sound.' 
Also,  second  and  third  swarms  may  contain  several 
queens,  frequently  two,  three  and  four  ;  even  six*  at 
one  time  came  out.  If  these  had  to  bite  their  way 
out,  after  the  workers  had  decided  it  was  time  to 
start,  (for  it  must  be  they  decide  it  when  the  queens 
are  shut  up)  they  would  hardly  be  in  season." 

IMPREGNATION    OP    THE    QUEEN. 

A  young  queen  having  succeeded  to  the  vacancy 

. * 

*  About  the  1st  of  June,  1860,  I  hived  an  after  swarm  which 
had  seven  queens  with  them.  I  removed  all  but  one  and  supplied 
them  to  artificial  colonies.  I  examined  the  hive  from  whence  the 
swarm  had  issued  within  an  hour  thereafter,  and  found  two  more 
queens,  which  had  probably  emerged  after  the  departure  of  the 
swarm. — A.  Harbison. 


52  CLASSIFICATION,   PHYSIOLOGY,   ETC. 

occasioned  by  the  emigration  or  death  of  the  parent 
queen,  as  the  future  mother  of  the  hive,  (or  as  such 
in  any  swarm  or  colony)  flies  out  for  the  purpose  of 
being  impregnated.  This  takes  place  from  the  sev- 
enth to  the  tenth  day  after  she  emerges  from  her 
cell ;  and  from  two  to  four  days  more  elapse  before 
she  commences  to  deposit  eggs,  which  will  be  on  the 
ninth  to  the  fourteenth  day  of  her  existence. 

Sometimes  impregnation  is  retarded,  or  fails  to  take 
place  ;  the  result  in  either  case  is  that  she  becomes 
a  drone  layer.  Exclusive  drone  laying  (in  my  opin- 
ion) frequently  results  from  the  imperfect  develop- 
ment of  the  ovaries  of  the  queen. 

"  Impregnation,"  (according  to  Dr.  Fleming)  "  in 
insects,  appears  to  take  place  while  the  eggs  pass  a 
reservoir  containing  the  sperm,  situated  near  the  ter- 
mination of  the  oviduct  in  the  vulva."  "In  dis- 
secting the  female  parts  in  the  silk-moth,  says  Mr. 
Hunter,  I  discovered  a  bag,  lying  on  what  may  be 
called  vagina,  or  common  oviduct,  whose  mouth  or 
opening  was  external,  but  it  had  a  canal  of  commu- 
nication betwixt  it  and  the  common  oviduct. 

"In  dissecting  these  parts  before  copulation,  I  found 
this  bag  empty  ;  and  when  I  dissected* them  after- 
wards, I  found  it  full."  (Phil.  Trans.  1792,  p.  186.) 

Dr.  Leidy,  who  made  dissections  and  microscopic 
examinations  of  queen  bees  for  Mr.  Langstroth,  in 
the  winter  of  1851-2,  "  found,  on  making  his  dis- 
sections, a  small  globular  sac,  about  one  thirty-third 
of  an  inch  in  diameter,  communicating  with  the  ovi- 


IMPREGNATION    OF   THE   QUEEN.  53 

duct,  and  filled  with  a  whitish  fluid ;  *  this  fluid 
when  examined  under  the  microscope,  abounded  in 
the  spermatozoa  which  characterizes  seminal  fluid. 

"  A  comparison  of  this  substance  later  in  the  sea- 
son with  the  semen  of  a  drone,  proved  them  to  be 
exactly  alike." 

"  These  examinations  have  settled,  on  the  impreg- 
nable basis  of  demonstration,  the  mode  in  which  the 
eggs  of  the  queen  are  vivified.  In  descending  the 
oviduct  to  be  deposited  in  the  cells,  they  pass  by  the 
mouth  of  this  seminal  sac,  or  '  spermathecaj  and 
receive  a  portion  of  its  fertilizing  contents.  Small 
as  it  is,  it  contains  sufficient  to  impregnate  hundreds 
of  thousands  of  eggs." 

"  Dzierzon  asserts  that  all  impregnated  eggs  pro- 
duce females,  either  workers  or  queens ;  and  all  un- 
impregnated  ones  males  or  drones ;  and  concluded 
that  the  eggs  laid  by  the  queen  bee  and  fertile  worker 
had,  from  the  previous  impregnation  of  the  eggs  from 
which  they  sprung,  sufficient  vitality  to  produce  the 
drone,  which  is  a  less  highly  organized  insect  than 
the  queen  or  worker." 

"  It  had  long  been  known  that  the  queen  deposits 


*  "  Posel  describes  the  oviduct  of  the  queen,  the  sperraatheca 
and  its  contents,  and  the  use  of  the  latter  in  impregnating  the 
passing  egg.  This  work  was  published  at  Munich,  in  1784.  It 
seems  also  from  his  work  that  before  the  investigations  of  Huber, 
Jansha,  the  bee-keeper  royal  of  Maria  Theresa,  had  discovered 
the  fact  that  the  young  queens  leave  their  hive  in  search  of  the 
drones . " — Langstroth . 


54  CLASSIFICATION,   PHYSIOLOGY,   ETC. 

drone-eggs  in  the  large  or  drone  cells,  and  worker- 
eggs  in  the  small  or  worker  cells,  and  that  she  makes 
no  mistakes. 

"  Dzierzon  inferred  therefore,  that  there  was  some 
way  in  which  she  was  able  to  decide  the  sex  of  the 
egg  before  it  was  laid,  and  that  she  must  have  such 
control  over  the  mouth  of  the  seminal  sac  as  to  be  able 
to  extrude  her  eggs,  allowing  them  at  will  to  receive 
or  not  a  portion  of  its  fertilizing  contents.  In  this 
way,  he  thought  she  determined  their  sex,  according 
to  the  size  of  the  cells  in  which  she  laid  them." 

Bonner  (who  wrote  a  work  on  bees  in  1795)  was 
of  the  opinion  that  a  queen  would  lay  eggs  capable 
of  producing  both  males  and  females,  although  they 
never  saw  a  drone. 

From  circumstances  that  have  come  'under  my 
own  observation,  I  believe  that  Bonner  is  nearer  the 
truth  than  Dzierzon,  yet  there  are  doubts  in  my 
mind  as  to  the  entire  correctness"  of  either. 

The  following  theory  was  advanced  by  Mr.  Wag- 
ner (p.  38, "  Hive  and  Honey  Bee  ")  viz:  "  that  the 
queen  in  depositing  eggs  in-worker  cells  has  her  body 
slightly  compressed  by  their  size,  thus  causing  the 
eggs  as  they  pass  the  spermatheca  to  receive  its  viv- 
ifying influence.  On  the  contrary,  when  she  is  lay- 
ing in  drone-cells,  as  this  compression  cannot  take 
place,  the  mouth  of  the  spermatheca  is  kept  closed, 
and  the  eggs  are  necessarily  unfecundated." 

This  theory  needs  no  other  refutation  than  the  fact 
that  the  queen  frequently,  as  in  the  case  of  young 


SEX   OF   EGGS.  55 

swarms,  lays  her  eggs  in  cells  not  an  eighth  of  an 
inch  deep ;  this  she  does  both  in  worker  and  drone 
cells,  yet  they  always  produce  workers  and  drones 
respectively,  with  the  same  regularity  as  if  the  cells 
had  been  built  the  usual  length  at  the  time  the  eggs 
were  deposited. 

SEX   OF   EGGS1. 

That  the  sex  of  the  eggs  is  determined  at,  or  pre- 
vious to  the  time  of  deposit  in  the  cells  by  the  queen, 
there  can  be  no  doubt,  as  all  the  eggs  laid  in  drone 
cells  produce  drones  only,  while  those  laid  in  worker 
cells  can  be  developed  perfect  queens  or  workers  at 
the  pleasure  of  the  nursing  bees.  To  prove  this  I  give 
the  following  experience.  In  practicing  the  dividing 
system  I  have  frequently  found  the  bees  to  build  a 
portion  of  the  queen  cells  on  drone  comb  containing 
drone  larvae,  and  in  three  instances  all  built  being  the 
same.  In  two  of  the  cases  I  supplied  comb  the  second 
time,  containing  eggs  and  larvae,  both  in  the  worker 
and  drone  cells,  and  in  both  cases  the  queen  cells 
were  all  built  on  the  drorte  comb,  and  in  one  instance 
this  was  repeated  three  successive  times.  I  have 
given  these  apparent  queen  cells  repeatedly  to  queen- 
less  colonies,  but  in  no  instance  have  either  queen  or 
drone  emerged  from  them.  I  have  opened  nearly 
one  hundred  of  these  cells,  and  at  various  times,  and 
have  found  them  to  contain  larvae  of  considerable 
size,  but  none  had  ever  become  a  pupa,  but  had  died 
on  reaching  that  age.  These  cells  are  larger  than 


56  CLASSIFICATION,    PHYSIOLOGY,    ETC. 

the  proper  cells  built  from  worker  brood,  and  should 
be  destroyed  whenever  found.  Many  of  the  failures 
to  produce  queens  have  resulted  from  using  such 
cells,  not  knowing  their  true  character.  By  using 
the  queen  nursery,  as  directed  in  Chap,  xvn,  it  will 
prevent,  in  a  great  measure,  such  cells  being  built. 

LAYING  AND  HATCHING  OF  EGGS,  AND  TREATMENT  OF 
THE  YOUNG. 

The  following  quotations  from  Bevan,  give  a  very 
full  and  correct  description  of  the  manner  in  which 
the  egg  is  laid,  and  the  appearence  and  treatment  of 
the  insect  in  all  stages  to  the  fully  developed  bee. 

"  It  is  the  office  of  the  queen  bee  to  multiply  the 
species  by  laying  eggs,  which  she  deposits  in  cells 
constructed  for  their  reception  by  the  working  bees. 
These  cells  vary  from  one  another  in  size  (and  in  the 
instances  of  the  royal  cells  they  also  vary  in  form  and 
direction)  according  as  they  are  intended  to  be  the 
depositories  of  eggs  that  are  to  become  drones,  or  of 
those  that  are  to  become  workers.  When  the  queen 
is  about  to  lay,  she  puts  her  head  into  a  cell  and 
remains  in  that  position  for  a  second  or  two,  probably 
to  ascertain  its  fitness  for  the  deposit  which  she  is 
about  to  make.  She  then  withdraws  her  head,  and 
curving  her  body  downwards,  inserts  her  tail  into  the 
cell ;  in  a  few  seconds  she  turns  half  round  upon 
herself  and  withdraws,  leaving  an  egg  behind  her. 
When  she  lays  a  considerable  number,  she  does  it 
equally  on  each  side  of  the  comb,  those  on  the  one 


LAYING  AND   HATCHING   OF   EGGS.  57 

side  being  as  exactly  opposite  to  those  on  the  other 
as  the  relative  position  of  the  cells  will  admit.  •  The 
effect  of  this  is  to  produce  a  concentration  and  econ- 
omy of  heat  for  developing  the  various  changes  of 
the  brood. 

"  The  eggs  of  bees  are  of  a  lengthened  oval  shape, 
with  a  slight  curvature,  and  of  a  bluish  white  color ; 
are  composed  of  a  thin  membrane  filled  with  a  whitish 
liquor,  and  being  besmeared  at  the  time  of  laying 
with  a  glutinous  substance,  they  adhere  to  the  basis 
of  the  cell  and  remain  unchanged  in  figure  or  situa- 
tion for  four  days  ;  then  they  are  hatched,  the  bottom 
of  each  cell  presenting  to  view  a  small  white  worm 
or  maggot,  with  several  ventral  rings.  On  its  grow- 
ing so  as  to  touch  the  opposite  angle  of  the  cell,  it 
coils  itself  up  in  the  shape  of  a  semicircle ;  to  use 
the  language  of  Swarmnerdam, '  it  coils  itself  up  like 
a  dog  when  he  is  going  to  sleep ;'  and  floats  in  a 
whitish  transparent  fluid  which  is  deposited  in  the 
cells  by  the  nursing  bees,  and  by  which  it  is  probably 
nourished ;  it  becomes  gradually  enlarged  in  its 
dimensions  till  the  two  extremities  touch  one  another 
and  form  a  ring.  In  this  state  it  obtains  indifferently 
the  name  of  worm,  larva,  maggot,  or  grub,  and  is 
fed  with  farina  or  bee-bread.  The  slightest  move- 
ment on  the  part  of  the  nursing  bees  suffices  to  attract 
it  to  its  food,  to  receive  the  welcome  morsels  of  which 
it  eagerly  opens  its  two  lateral  pincers,  and  a  most 
liberal  supply  is  afforded  to  it,  though  by  no  means 
trenching  on  the  bounds  of  prodigality. 


58  CLASSIFICATION,    PHYSIOLOGY,    ETC. 

"  So  nicely  do  the  bees  calculate  the  quantity 
which  will  be  required,  that  none  remains  in  the  cell 
when  the  larva  is  transformed  to  a  nymph.  It  was 
the  opinion  of  Reaumur,  and  is  still  that  of  many 
eminent  naturalists,  that  farina  does  not  constitute 
the  sole  food  of  the  bee-larva,  but  that  it  consists 
of  a  mixture  of  farina  with  a  certain  proportion  of 
honey  and  water,  partly  digested  in  the  stomachs  of 
the  nursing  bees,  the  relative  proportions  of  honey 
and  farina  varying  according  to  the  age  of  the  young. 
The  compound  at  first  is  nearly  insipid,  but  gradually 
receives  an  accession  of  sweetness  and  acescency 
which  increase  as  the  insects  approach  maturity. 

"  The  larva  having  derived  support  in  the  manner 
above  described,  for  four,  five,  or  six  days,  according 
to  the  season,  continues  to  increase  during  that  period, 
till  it  occupies  the  whole  breadth  and  nearly  the  length 
of  the  cell.  The  nursing  bees  now  seal  up  the  cell, 
with  a  light  brown  cover,  externally,  more  or  less 
convex,  (the  cap  of  a  drone  cell  is  more  convex  than 
that  of  a  worker)  and  thus  differing  from  that  of 
a  honey-cell,  which  is  paler  and  somewhat  concave. 
The  larva  is  no  sooner  perfectly  inclosed  than  it  begins 
to  labor,  alternately  extending  and  shortening  its 
body,  whilst  it  lines  the  cell  by  spinning  round  itself, 
after  the  manner  of  the  silk  worm,  a  whitish  silky 
fiber  or  cocoon,  by  which  it  is  encased  as  it  were  in 
a  pod  or  pellicle.  '  The  silken  thread  employed  in 
forming  this  covering  proceeds  from  the  middle  part 
of  the  under  lip,  and  is  in  fact  composed  of  two 


LAYING  AND   HATCHING   OF   EGGS.  59 

threads  gummed  together  as  they  issue  from  the  two 
adjoining  orifices  of  the  spinner.'  When  it  has 
undergone  this  change,  it  has  usually  born  the  name 
of  nymph  or  pupa. 

"  It  may  appear  somewhat  extraordinary,  that  a 
creature  which  takes  its  food  so  voraciously  prior  to 
its  assuming  the  pupa  state  should  live  so  long  with- 
out food  after  that  assumption ;  but  a  little  consider- 
ation will  perhaps  abate  our  wonder ;  for  when  the 
insect  has  attained  the  state  of  pupa,  it  has  arrived 
at  its  full  growth,  and  probably  the  nutriment  taken 
so  greedily  is  to  serve  as  a  store  for  developing  the 
perfect  insect. 

"  The  bee  when  in  its  pupa  state  has  been  denom- 
inated, but  improperly,  chrysalis  and  aurelia;  for 
these,  as  the  words  import,  are  of  a  golden  yellow 
color,  and  they  are  crustaceous,  whilst  the  bee 
nymphs  are  of  a  pale  dull  color,  and  readily  yield  to 
the  touch.  The  golden  splendor  to  which  the  above 
names  owe  their  origin  is  peculiar  to  a  certain  species 
only  of  the  papilio  or  butterfly  tribe.  The  term  pupa, 
which  is  employed  by  the  higher  class  of  entomolo- 
gists, after  the  example  of  Linnaeus,  signifies  that 
the  insect  is  enveloped  in  swaddling  clothes  like  an 
infant ;  a  very  apt  comparison.  Kirby  and  Spence 
have  remarked  that  it  exhibits  no  unapt  representa- 
tion of  an  Egyptian  mummy.  When  in  this  state,  it 
presents  no  appearance  of  external  members,  and 
retains  no  very  marked  indications  of  life  ;  but  within 
this  outward  case  its  organs  are  gradually  and  fully 


60  CLASSIFICATION,   PHYSIOLOGY,   ETC. 

developed,  its  integuments  hardened  and  consolidated, 
and  as  soon  as  it  is  qualified  it  bursts  its  fetters,  and 
is  introduced  to  a  new  career  of  existence  ;  from  hav- 
ing been  a  mere  worm,  it  becomes  a  sportive  inhabit- 
ant of  the  air  and  enters  upon  new  scenes  and  new 
enjoyments. 

"  The  working  bee-nymph  spins  its  cocoon  in 
thirty-six  hours.  After  passing  about  three  days  in 
this  state  of  preparation  for  a  new  existence,  it  grad- 
ually  undergoes  so  great  a  change  as  not  to  wear  a 
vestige  of  its  previous  form,  but  becomes  armed  with 
a  firmer  mail  and  with  scales  of  a  dark  brown  hue 
fringed  with  light  hairs.  On  its  belly  six  rings 
become  distinguishable,  which,  by  slipping  one  over 
another,  enable  the  bee  to  shorten  its  body  whenever 
it  has  occasion  to  do  so  ;  its  breast  becomes  entirely 
covered  with  gray  feather-like  hairs,  which,  as  the 
insect  advances  in  age,  assume  a  reddish  hue. 

"  When  it  has  reached  the  twenty-first  day  of  its 
existence,  counting  from  the  moment  the  egg  is  laid, 
it  quits  the  exuviae  of  the  pupa  state,  comes  forth  a 
perfect  winged  insect,  and  is  termed  an  imago.  The 
cocoon  or  pellicle  is  left  behind,  and  forms  a  closely 
attached  and  exact  lining  to  the  cell  in  which  it  was 
spun  ;  by  this  means  the  breeding  cells  become  smaller 
and  their  partitions  stronger  the  oftener  they  change 
their  tenants  ;  and  when  they  have  become  so  much 
diminished  in  size  by  this  succession  of  pellicles  or 
linings  as  not  to  admit  of  the  perfect  development  of 
full-sized  bees,  they  are  converted  into  receptacles 
for  honey. 


LAYING  AND   HATCHING   OF   EGGS.  61 

"  Such  are  the  respective  stages  of  the  working 
bee  ;  those,  of  the  royal  bee  are  as  follows.  She 
passes  three  days  in  the  egg  and  is  five  a  worm  ;  the 
workers  then  close  her  cell,  and  she  immediately  be- 
gins spinning  the  cocoon,  which  occupies  her  twenty- 
four  hours.  On  the  tenth  and  eleventh  days,  as  if 
exhausted  by  her  labor,  she  remains  in  complete 
repose,  and  even  sixteen  hours  of  the  twelfth.  Then 
she  passes  four  days  and  one-third  as  a  nymph.  It 
is  on  the  sixteenth  day,  therefore,  that  the  perfect 
state  of  queen  is  attained. 

"  The  male  passes  three  days  in  the  egg,  six  and 
a  half  as  a  worm,  and  metamorphoses  into  a  fly  on 
the  twenty-fourth  or  twenty-fifth  day  after  the  egg  is 
laid.  The  great  epoch  of  laying  the  eggs  of  males 
may  be  accelerated  or  retarded  by  the  state  of  the 
atmosphere*,  promoting  or  impeding  the  collection  of 
the  bees.  The  development  of  each  species  likewise 
proceeds  more  slowly  when  the  colonies  are  weak  or 
the  air  cool,  and  when  the  weather  is  very  cold  it  is 
entirely  suspended.  Mr.  Hunter  has  observed  that 
the  eggs,  maggots  and  nymphs  all  require  a  heat 
above  70°  of  Fahrenheit  for  their  evolution.  The  in- 
fluence of  temperature  in  the  development  of  embryo 
insects  is  very  strongly  illustrated  in  the  case  of  the 
Papilio  Machaon.  According  to  Messrs.  Kirby  and 
Spence,  '  if  the  caterpillar  of  the  Papilio  Machaon 
becomes  a  pupa  in  July,  the  butterfly  will  appear  in 
thirteen  days  ;  if  it  do  not  become  a  pupa  till  Sep- 
tember, the  butterfly  will  not  make  its  appearance 


62  CLASSIFICATION,   PHYSIOLOGY,   ETC. 

until  the  following  June.'  And  this  is  the  case,  say 
they,  with  a  vast  number  of  other  insects.  Reaumur 
proved  the  influence  of  temperature  by  effecting  the 
regular  change  in  a  hot-house  during  the  month  of 
January.  He  also  proved  it  conversely  by  having 
recourse  to  an  ice-house  in  summer,  which  enabled 
him  to  retard  the  development  for  a  whole  year. 

"  The  larvae  of  bees,  though  without  feet,  are  not 
always  without  motion.  They  advance  from  their 
first  station  at  the  bottom  of  the  cell  in  a  spiral  direc- 
tion ;  this  movement  for  the  first  three  days  is  so 
slow  as  to  be  scarcely  perceptible,  but  after  that  it  is 
more  easily  discerned.  The  animal  now  makes  two 
entire  revolutions  in  about  an  hour  and  three-quarters, 
and  when  the  period  of  its  metamorphosis  arrives,  it 
is  scarcely  more  than  two  lines  from  the  mouth  xof  the 
cell.  Its  attitude,  which  is  always  the  same,  is  a 
strong  curve.  This  occasions  the  inhabitant  of  a 
horizontal  cell  to  be  always  perpendicular  to  the 
horizon,  and  that  of  a  vertical  one  to  be  parallel  with 
it." 

u  The  young  bees  break  their  envelopes  "  from  the 
inside ;  they  immediately  come  forth  and  commence 
cleansing  themselves.  They  seldom  leave  the  hive 
till  four  or  five  days  old  and  probably  commence  their 
labors  soon  after  this  event. 

PLAYING. 

Playing  is  a  peculiarity  in  the  habits  of  the  bee 
not  generally  understood,  and  as  it  sometimes  causes 


PLAYING.  63 

perplexity  to  new  beginners,  I  deem  it  worthy  of 
notice. 

On  the  first  warm  day  that  succeeds  cold  or  gloomy 
weather,  the  bees  hold  a  jubilee  ;  not  usually  all  at 
once,  but  a  separate  hive  or  a  limited  number  at  a 
time,  usually  in  regular  succession.  This  is  for  the 
purpose  of  purification  and  exercise.  As  soon  as  the 
day  has  become  warm  enough  to  excite  them  to  go 
forth,  large  numbers  will  be  seen  to  suddenly  issue 
from  the  hive  and  mount  on  the  wing  with  songs  of 
rejoicing,  circle  round,  play  a  short  time,  and  then 
return.  Others  are  constantly  sallying  out  and 
returning  in  like  manner.  Then  may  be  heard  the 
bee-hive's  happy  hum.  The  excitement  occasioned  by 
the  departure  and  arrival  of  the  bees  is  kept  up  for 
about  thirty  minutes,  more  or  less,  according  to  the 
number  of  bees  composing  the  swarm,  and  the  tem- 
perature of  the  atmosphere.  This  playing  occurs  at 
intervals  during  the  whole  season. 

During  the  active  breeding  season,  the  young  bees 
flying  for  the  first  time  constitute  the  great  body  of 
players ;  the  drones  also  go  forth  in  considerable 
numbers.  At  this  period  it  bears  so  close  a  resemb- 
lance to  that  of  a  swarm  commencing  to  depart,  that 
it  requires  a  practiced  eye  to  detect  the  difference. 
Hence,  young  apiarians  not  unfrequently  mistake  the 
amusement  for  the  process  of  swarming,  and  prepare 
to  hive  them. 

By  observing  closely,  however,  numbers  will  be 
seen  returning,  as  well  as  departing,  which  is  not  the 


64  CLASSIFICATION,    PHYSIOLOGY,    ETC. 

case  in  swarming.  This  playing  indicates  a  healthy 
and  prosperous  condition,  and  frequently  precedes 
the  issuance  of  a  swarm. 


DRONE-LAYING   QUEEN. 

It  sometimes  happens  that  the  young  queen  is  una- 
ble to  fly  out,  on  account  of  bad  weather  or  defective 
wings  ;  consequently  she  fails  to  become  impregnat- 
ed, (at  the  only  time  probably  that' it  can  take  place, 
viz  :  within  twenty-one  days  of  her  birth)  which  usu- 
ally takes  place  on  the  wing.  She,  however,  lays 
eggs,  which  only  produce  drones  ;*  which  being  laid 
in  worker  cells,  their  character  is  not  easily  determ- 
ined until  sealed  up.  The  only  indication  from  the 
eggs  is,  that  a  portion  of  them  appear  deficient  in 
size,  being  only  the  covering  without  the  substance. 
After  they  are  sealed  up,  or  nearly  so,  it  is  easily 
detected ;  there  being  but  a  part  of  the  cells  occu- 
pied, the  comb  presents  an  unusual  appearance,  being 
in  irregular  rows  and  clumps.  These  cells  are  raised 
and  oval,  being  lengthened  out  and  enlarged,  to 
accommodate  this  unnatural  production.  (See  plate 
n,  fig.  21.)  Drones  so  raised  are  dwarfs,  being  but 
little  more  than  half  the  size  of  the  drones  proper,  and 
are  short  lived.  A  hive  possessing  a  drone-laying 
queen  is  soon  depopulated,  and  falls  a  prey  to  robbers. 


*  Bee-keepers,  even  from  the  time  of  Aristotle,  had  observed 
that  all  the  brood  in  a  hive  were  occasionally  drones. — Langstroth. 


PLATE  II. 


FIGURE  11. 


LOSS   OF   THE   QUEEN.  65 

When  a  hive  is  found  to  have  such  a  queen,  search 
her  out  and  destroy  her  ;  then  cut  out  all  the  comb 
occupied  with  her  brood,  as  it  is  entirely  useless. 
The  balance  of  the  combs  should  then  be  exchanged 
for  perfect  brood,  and  a  queen  or  royal  cell  supplied. 
But  if  few  bees  are  found,  then  break  it  up,  and  give 
the  remaining  bees  and  comb  to  other  hives. 

Occasionally  young  queens  lay  only  drone  eggs 
(but  in  worker  comb)  for  the  first  few  days  after 
becoming  fertile,  and  afterwards  produce  workers  and 
drones  perfectly  developed  in  their  proper  order. 
When  the  raised  oval  cells  are  found,  search  for  the 
queen  ;  if  her  wings  are  defective,  destroy  her,  but 
if  they  are  all  right,  it  is  best  to  wait  a  few  days 
longer,  when  her  character  is  fully  determined.  If 
she  changes  for  the  better,  it  is  known  by  the  last 
brood  sealed  being  smooth  and  regular.  The  abdo- 
men of  a  drone-laying  queen  usually  appears  more 
slender  than  that  of  a  perfect  one. 

EXTERNAL    EVIDENCE    OF   THE   LOSS   OF   THE   QUEEN. 

The  loss  of  the  queen  creates  much  disturbance 
during  the  first  day,  after  which  the  bees  continue 
their  labors  as  usual.  As  soon  as  their  loss  is  discov- 
ered, numbers  of  them  may  be  seen  running  out  of 
the  hive  and  roaming  about  in  an  inquiring  manner, 
evidently  searching  for  their  lost  mother.  Though 
'other  causes  frequently  produce  similar  excitement, 
the  agitation  will  be  brief;  whereas,  the  loss  of  the 


68  CLASSIFICATION,   PHYSIOLOGY,   ETC. 

very  sensitive,  and  will  attack  and  sting  their  keeper 
or  other  persons  disturbing  them,  more  readily  than 
those  having  a  prolific  queen. 

Cells  resembling  acorn  cups  with  the  mouth  down- 
wards, (called  false  queen  cells)  are  always  built  by 
queenless  swarms.  Such  are  also  found  in  hives 
fully  organized,  and  it  requires  a  practiced  eye  to  de- 
tect the  difference.  If  queenless,  they  are  found 
usually  in  clusters  on  the  ends  of  the  combs ;  while  if 
having  a  queen,  there  is  but  an  occasional  one,  and 
they  are  to  be  found  on  the  sides  or  edge  of  the 
comb. 

Retaining  drones  late  in  the  season,  after  other 
hives  have  destroyed  them,  is  an  indication,  though 
not  a  positive  one,  of  queenlessness ;  for  good  hives 
are  occasionally  known  to  retain  a  few  through  the 
winter,  but  they  are  always  killed  during  the  first 
days  of  flying,  in  the  spring. 

It  is  stated  by  different  authors  that  the  bees  of  a 
queenless  hive  will  not  carry  in  pollen.  (They  say 
the  bees  have  no  use  for  it,  that  it  is  used  for  the  one 
purpose  only  of  feeding  the  young.) 

The  assertion  however,  is  not  well  founded,  for  I 
have  invariably  found  them  carrying  in  and  storing 
it  as  long  as  a  small  cluster  of  bees  remained,  or  till 
the  last  stages  of  its  existence.  When  they  fail  to  do 
so,  it  is  because  there  is  no  pasturage  from  which  to 
gather  it. 

Mr.  Quinby  is  of  the  same  opinion. 


THE  DRONE.  69 

THE  DRONE. 

Drones  are  males,  and  without  stings,  and  are  about 
one-fourth  larger  than  the  workers,  making  their  ap- 
pearance in  the  month  of  March,  and  continuing  dur- 
ing the  season  of  breeding,  serving  no  other  useful 
purpose*  than  to  impregnate  the  young  queens ;  for 
shape,  see  plate  No.  1. 

They  leave  the  hive  for  excursions  from  10  o'clock 
A.  M.,  to  3  P.  M.  When  on  the  wing,  they  make 
a  loud  and  quick  buzzing  sound,  easily  distinguished 
from  that  made  by  the  workers. 

The  number  found  in  each  hive  varies  from  less 
than  one  hundred  to  several  thousand.  When  very 
numerous,  they  consume  a  large  proportion  of  the 
honey,  rendering  the  hive  unprofitable.  As  only  a 
small  number  is  necessary  to  each  hive,  it  will  be 
well  to  prevent  useless  hoards  being  reared.  This 
can  be  done  by  removing  most  of  the  drone  or  large- 
celled  comb  from  the  hive  in  the  early  spring,  or  at 
any  period  during  the  season.  A  portion  however 
should  remain  and  be  allowed  to  mature,  for  if  all  is 
destroyed,  the  bees  will  persist  in  rebuilding. 

By  placing  the  frame  from  which  the  drone  comb 
was  cut  between  two  combs  already  built,  they  are 
more  likely  to  rebuild  with  worker  comb. 

*  Various  opinions  formerly  prevailed  as  to  the  use  of  the 
drone.  The  following  one,  given  to  me  many  years  ago  by  an 
aged  bee-keeping  friend  of  the  name  of  Brown,  is,  I  believe,  orig- 
inal. "The  drones  (said  he)  are  for  the  purpose  of  tramping 
the  mortar  for  the  worker  bees  to  build  combs  of." 


70  CLASSIFICATION,   PHYSIOLOGY,   ETC. 

THE   DRONES    KILLED    BY   THE   WORKERS. 

As  a  matter  of  animal  economy,  or  to  save  the 
expense  of  useless  boarders,  the  workers  destroy  the 
drones  at  irregular  periods  during  the  spring,  sum- 
mer and  fall.  The  immediate  moving  cause  of  the 
slaughter  is  a  scarcity  of  honey  and  pollen  secreted 
in  the  flowers.  They  seldom  kill  all  at  these  periods 
in  the  spring  or  summer,  but  when  flowers  fail  at 
autumn,  and  no  more  honey  can  be  gathered,  they 
are  all  killed,  or  driven  forth  to  perish  from  hunger 
and  cold. 

When  this  killing  occurs  about  the  time  that  swarms 
should  be  expected,  it  is  a  sure  indication  that  this 
intention  is  abandoned  or  deferred.  When  a  hive 
retains  its  drones  after  all  others  have  killed  them, 
it  indicates  that  such  a  hive  is  queenless ;  and  it 
should  be  seen  to  immediately.  If  sufficient  bees 
remain,  they  can  be  supplied  with  a  queen  from  some 
small  colony,  or  what  is  far  better,  the  two  combin- 
ed in  one.  (  See  directions  for  supplying  queens.) 
In  rare  instances  the  bees  will  retain  a  limited  num- 
ber of  drones  through  the  winter,  which  I  account 
for  as  follows.  In  some  localities  a  supply  of  very 
late  pasturage  is  afforded,  giving  employment  to  the 
bees  until  the  propensity  to  rid  themselves  of  these 
useless  consumers  is  passed  for  the  season.  They 
are,  however,  killed  as  soon  as  the  spring  opens. 


WHITE-HEADED   DRONES  —  THE   WORKER.        71 
WHITE-HEADED   DRONES. 

In  the  summer  of  1856  I  discovered  •  in  one  of 
my  hives  a  number  of  drones,  with  heads  nearly 
white,  some  of  which  continued  through  the  season 
up  to  the  usual  time  of  killing  drones. 

The  same  phenomenon  has  reappeared  in  the  same 
hive  each  year  since  that  time,  and  during  the  past 
year  they  have  been  more  numerous  than  any  of  the 
preceding.  I  have  counted  as  many  as  thirty-six  of 
these  in  sight  at  once,  by  looking  through  the  glass 
in  the  rear  of  the  hive.  In  the  spring  of  1859  a 
young  queen  superseded  the  old  one  in  this  hive ; 
still  the  drones  reared  afterwards  were  the  same, 
there  being  about  one-half  thus  marked.  I  have 
examined  a  large  number  of  stocks  in  the  middle  and 
western  States,  and  have  made  inquiries  of  various 
bee-keepers,  but  have  failed  to  learn  of  another  in- 
stance of  like  character. 

The  above  hive  of  bees  is  owned  by  W.  C.  &  J. 
S.  Harbison,  and  is  in  their  apiary  at  the  residence 
of  the  former  in  Chenango,  Lawrence  county,  Penn- 
sylvania.— A.  Harbison. 


THE    WORKER. 

The  workers  are  undeveloped  females,  in  size, 
considerably  less  than  either  the  queen  or  drones ;  in 
numbers,  comprising  the  great  majority,  and  being 
practically  the  sovereigns  of  the  hive.  All  as  mem- 


72  CLASSIFICATION,    PHYSIOLOGY,   ETC. 

bers  of  the  same  family  work  together  in  the  greatest 
harmony. 

Nature  has  provided  all  animals,  birds  and  insects, 
with  means  to  protect  and  guard  themselves,  so  as  to 
insure  their  proper  increase  ;  hence  we  find  the  honey 
bee  armed  and  equipped,  in  accordance  with  the 
above  laws. 

No  less  formidable  weapon,  or  less  courage  than 
that  which  they  possess,  would  suffice  to  guard  their 
young  and  their  treasures,  affording  as  they  do,  temp- 
tations to  so  many  hungry  creatures. 

Their  means  of  defense  consist  of  a  sting  to  pierce, 
and  poison  to  inject  into  the  wound  by  means  of 
the  sting.  As  a  means  of  protection,  nature  pro- 
vides them  with  a  habitation  inaccessible  to  most  of 
their  enemies. 

The  sting  is  situated  within  and  at  the  termination 
of  the  abdomen;  it  is  about  an  eighth  of  an  inch 
long,  and  is  thrust  out  in  the  act  of  being  used  ;  it  is 
composed  of  three  parts,  (which  to  the  unassisted 
eye  appear  as  one)  the  piercer  and  two  laminae. 
The  piercer  is  a  little  longer  than  the  lamina,  and  is 
furnished  with  a  number  of  barbs,  barely  percepti- 
ble under  the  microscope,  which  when  once  entered 
into  any  yielding  substance,  not  only  hold  the  sting 
so  firmly  that  the  bee  leaves  it  sticking  in  the  wound, 
but  cause  it,  assisted  by  the  momentary  nervous  vital- 
ity, to  sink  its  entire  length  into  the  flesh. 

The  poison  is  contained  in  a  reservoir  at  the  base 
of  the  sting,  and  flows  into  the  wound  through  the 


THE    WORKER.  73 

channel  formed  by  the  lamina  in  combination  with 
the  piercer :  this  is  shown  by  the  drop  of  poison  not 
appearing  at  the  end  of  the  piercer,  but  at  the  ter- 
mination of  the  lamina. 

This  poison  is  the  cause  of  the  pain  and  swelling 
usually  experienced  by  persons  when  stung. 

It  is  supposed  that  the  loss  of  the  sting  proves 
fatal  to  the  bee ;  such  a  theory  appears  reasonable, 
yet  I  am  not  aware  of  any  experiments  being  tried 
to  prove  its  correctness. 

When  a  bee  stings  another  it  does  not  usually  lose 
its  sting,  as  in  the  case  of  stinging  other  objects. 

They  are  natural  mechanics,  and  appear  to  do 
their  work  as  perfectly  the  first  day  of  their  labors 
as  the  old  artizans  that  have  plied  their  trade  for 
nearly  a  life-time. 

Their  sight  and  smell  are  very  keen,  enabling 
them  to  discover  objects  and  detect  the  presence  of 
honey  when  at  a  considerable  distance  ;  hence,  to  se- 
lect the  choicest  pasturaga  and  make  the  most  rapid 
accumulations  possible.  Their  peculiar  formation 
— combining  strength  and  activity  with  their  baskets 
for  carrying  bread  or  pollen  on  their  thighs,  and  an 
internal  sac  (separate  from  their  main  stomachs) 
for  receiving  and  carrying  honey — eminently  fits 
them  for  their  laborious  and  provident  habits. 

*Each  department  of  labor  has  its  special  workmen, 
such  as  field  laborers,  wax  producers,  builders  and 
nurses,  the  latter  being  also  the  guards. 

The  field  laborers  collect  honey  and  pollen,  and 
4 


74  CLASSIFICATION,   PHYSIOLGY,    ETC. 

store  it  in  the  combs,  and  also  collect  propolis  with 
which  to  coat  the  interior  surface  of  their  habitation. 
It  is  probable  that  the  field  laborers  are  the  princi- 
pal comb  builders. 


WAX   PRODUCED    BY   THE   WORKERS. 

The  wax  of  which  the  comb  is  composed,  is  an 
animal  secretion,  emitted  from  the  folds  of  the  abdo- 
men in  a  manner  similar  to  the  emission  of  silk  from 
the  silk  worm. 

The  wax  producers  remain  in  the  hive  inactive, 
while  elaborating  the  wax.  This  consumes  several 
days  from  the  time  they  commence  feeding  for  the 
purpose.  Their  food  during  this  time  is  mostly 
honey ;  pollen  as  food  is  not  essential  to  the  elabora- 
tion of  wax. 

The  wax  appears  in  two  rows  of  scales  of  four 
each,  in  sacklets  on  the  under  side  of  the  abdomen, 
as  represented  in  plate  i^fig.  8.  These  are  taken 
away  by  the  builders  and  converted  into  combs. 

When  about  to  lay  the  foundations  of  a  new  comb, 
the  bees  cluster  in  ranks  formed  into  festoons,  so 
that  the  builders  can  pass  freely  at  their  work ;  this 
arrangement  seems  designed  to  create  and  maintain 
a  sufficiently  warm  and  uniform  temperature  to  enable 
them  to  mold  the  wax  into  a  perfect  structure,  whieh, 
when  first  built,  is  white,  semi-transparent  and  fragile ; 
it  afterwards  changes  to  a  darker  color  and  becomes 
stronger.  These  effects  are  produced  by  the  thick- 


WAX   PRODUCED    BY   THE   WORKERS.  75 

ening  of  the  partition  walls  of  the  cells,  and  also  by 
the  cocoons  left  by  each  emerging  young  bee. 

The  bees  that  remain  inactive,  forming  these  clus- 
ters, are  mainly  wax  producers,  and  are  thus  con- 
stantly at  hand  with  a  supply  of  mortar  ready  for  the 
use  of  the  builders,  who  by  means  of  relays  con- 
tinue their  labors  day  and  night  during  the  time  of 
their  harvests.  But  when  this  is  ended,  and  no  far- 
ther accumulations  of  stores  can  be  expected,  no 
more  garners  are  built. 

It  is  probable  that  the  wax  producers  continue 
their  emissions  for  some  time,  and  then  die.  Or  it 
may  be  they  produce  wax  at  different  periods ;  yet 
they  are  certainly  short-lived.  (This  subject  will  be 
farther  investigated  at  some  future  time.)  This 
class  of  bees  are  non-resistant,  and  never  volunteer 
an  attack. 

The  nurses  attend  to  the  wants  of  the  young  from 
the  egg  until  they  emerge  from  the  comb,  protecting 
the  brood  with  great  constancy.  They  are  also  the 
water  carriers  and  guards. 

Their  care  and  attention  to  the  wants  of  the  queen 
are  of  the  most  devoted  kind.  Sometimes  when 
swarming  she  falls  to  the  ground  near  the  hive,  when 
she  is  soon  surrounded  with  her  faithful  attendants, 
who  remain  till  death  parts  them. 

Their  ability  to  determine  the  course  and  locality 
of  their  hives,  after  passing  from  flower  to  flower  in 
all  directions,  and  for  a  long  time,  is  truly  won- 
derful. On  the  approach  of  a  storm,  they  take  the 


76  CLASSIFICATION,   PHYSIOLOGY,   ETC. 

alarm  and  seek  their  homes  for  safety.  If  overtaken 
and  blown  down,  they  usually  crawl  under  leaves  and 
other  places  of  shelter,  where  they  remain  in  safety 
till  the  storm  has  passed  over.  Yet  numbers  are 
frequently  caught  out  and  perish  from  cold  and  wet. 
Their  disposition  is  mild  and  peaceful,  while  rap- 
idly acquiring  riches ;  but  as  soon  as  pasturage  fails 
they  become  irritable,  and  will  not  permit  intrusion 
without  resisting  it  sharply. 

THEIR    INDUSTRY. 

"  Industry  belongs  to  their  nature.  When  the 
flowers  yield  honey,  and  the  weather  is  fine,  they 
need  no  impulse  from  manw  to  perform  their  part. 
When  their  tenement  is  supplied  with  all  things  nec- 
essary to  reach  another  spring,  or  their  store-house 
full,  and  no  necessity  or  room  for  an  addition,  and  we 
supply  them  with  more  space,  they  assiduously  toil  to 
fill  it  up.  Rather  than  to  waste  time  in  idleness  dur- 
ing a  bounteous  yield  of  honey,  they  have  been 
known  to  deposit  their  surplus  in  combs  outside  the 
hive,  or  under  the  stand.  This  naturally  industrious 
habit  lies  at  the  foundation  of  all  the  advantages  in 
bee-keeping;  consequently,  our  hives  must  be  con- 
structed with  this  end  in  view,  and  at  the  same  time, 
not  interfere  with  other  points  of  their  nature." — 
Quinby. 


OF  THK 

UNIVERSITY 


78  CLASSIFICATION,   PHYSIOLOGY,   ETC. 

a  fertile  worker.  I  lifted  out  the  comb  in  which  all 
the  eggs  were  deposited ;  there  was  a  thin  cluster  of 
bees  on  it.  I  soon  discovered  a  bee  inserting  her 
abdomen  in  a  cell,  and  then  withdrawing  it,  in  the 
same  manner  as  done  by  a  queen  when  laying  eggs. 
This  was  repeated  four  times.  I  then,  with  a  pair  of 
scissors,  clipped  a  small  point  off  each  wing,  in  order 
to  be  able  to  again  identify  her.  I  examined  this 
hive  daily  for  some  time,  but  only  detected  her  in  the 
act  of  laying  an  egg  on  one  other  occasion.  She 
remained  in  the  hive  for  five  weeks  after  I  first  dis- 
covered her,  by  which  time  the  bees  had  nearly  all 
disappeared.  This  fertile  worker  was  apparently  a 
young  bee,  and  was  of  small  size  and  starved  appear- 
ance, the  very  opposite  of  what  would  have  been 
expected.  This  fact  is  good  evidence  that  there  are 
different  orders  of  development  (or  at  least  a  division 
of  labor,  probably  according  to  age)  amongst  the 
workers,  viz:  the  nursing  bees,  field  laborers,  wax 
producers,  and  comb  builders. 

The  same  bee  is  doubtless  capable  of  performing 
either  of  those  duties,  at  different  periods  of  its  life, 
but  not  indiscriminately  at  any  one  time. 

Since  the  above  was  written,  other  fertile  workers 
have  been  seen  in  the  act  of  depositing  eggs,  as  fol- 
lows : 

Previous  to  the  first  of  September,  1860,  a  small 
colony  had  become  queenless,  and  remained  so  for 
some  time  ;  on  examination,  it  was  found  to  have  one 
or  more  fertile  workers  ;  the  colony  was  on  the  above 


FERTILE   WORKER.  79 

date  removed  into  an  observatory  hive ;  in  a  short 
time  afterwards  one  worker  was  seen  depositing  eggs, 
and  on  the  third  day  thereafter  (being  the  third  of 
September)  there  were  three  different  wofkers  seen 
depositing  eggs  at  the  same  time.  This  was  witnessed 
by  J.  P.  Lockey,  J.  R.  Frame,  Mr.  Lyon,  A.  Har- 
bison, and  others. 


ftll 


CHAPTEE    IY. 

DISEASES. 


Dysentery. 83 

How  to  Prevent  Dysentery 84 

Eemedy  for  Dysentery 85 

Foul  Brood 86 

Seat  of  Disease  in  the  Brood 91 

Microscopic  Examinations 94 

How  to  Detect  Foul  Brood 95 

No  Cure — Sanitary  Measures 97 

Directions  for  Driving f ; 99 

4* 


CHAPETR  IV. 

DISEASES. 


DYSENTERY,   OR   DIARRHOEA. 

BEES  frequently  suffer  from  this  disease,  particularly 
during  the  winter  and  early  spring.  It  is  caused  by 
unwholesome  food,  unusual  confinement,  insufficient 
ventilation  or  dampness,  cold  or  heat,  either  sepa- 
rately or  in  combination. 

"  The  presence  of  this  disease  is  indicated  by  the 
appearance  of  the  excrement,  which,  instead  of  a 
reddish  yellow,  exhibits  a  muddy  black  color,  and  has 
a  very  offensive  smell.  Also  by  its  being  voided 
upon  the  floor,  and  at  the  entrance  of  the  hive,"  and 
also  on  the  comb,  "  which  bees,  in  a  healthy  state 
are  particularly  careful  to  preserve  clean." — Bevan. 

When  bees  are  suffering  from  this  disease,  they 
frequently  separate  from  the  cluster,  (even  when  the 
weather  is  quite  cold)  and  endeavor  to  fly.  When 
the  weather  becomes  mild,  numbers  of  them  may  be 
seen  crawling  at  the  entrance  of  the  hive  or  on  the 
ground,  presenting  a  bloated  or  bedaubed  appearance, 
and  rapidly  dying.  At  this  stage  of  the  disease  the 


84  DISEASES. 

hive  will  rapidly  depopulate,  unless  soon  relieved  by 
the  return  of  a  warm  day,  to  enable  the  bees  to  fly 
out  and  discharge  their  filth. 

HOW   TO   PREVENT   DYSENTERY. 

FIRST. — Reject  all  hives  having  unwholesome  food, 
as  unfit  for  wintering.  For  example  :  honey  gathered 
during  wet  weather,  which  frequently  turns  slightly 
sour.  This  honey  will  be  peculiarly  thin,  and  will 
contain  great  numbers  of  minute  air  bubbles.  Such 
honey  is  unfit  for  bees  to  feed  upon. 

Honey  gathered  from  "  honey-dew  "  also  contains 
a  considerable  amount  of  acid,  and  will  render  bees 
that  feed  upon  it,  especially  in  winter,  unhealthy,  and 
should  therefore  be  avoided.  If  bees  are  fed  late  in 
the  fall  or  during  the  winter,  with  sugar  or  honey  of 
an  inferior  quality,  and  much  of  it  remains  in  the 
cell  unsealed,  it  will  attract  moisture,  become  sour, 
and  debilitate  or  destroy  the  bees  that  feed  upon  it. 

SECOND. — Avoid  confining  bees  for  a  long  period 
at  any  one  time,  particularly  if  the  weather  is  warm. 

THIRD. — See  that  the  hives  are  properly  ventilat- 
ed. 

FOURTH. — Have  the  apiary  located  on  dry  land, 
and  the  hives  kept  dry,  and  allow  the  sun  to  shine 
on  them  at  all  times  during  the  spring,  when  the 
temperature  is  below  75°  (Fahr.)  in  the  shade,  but 
as  soon  as  it  rises  above  75°,  screen  the  hives  from 
the  direct  rays  of  the  sun. 


REMEDY    FOR    DYSENTERY.  85 

FIFTH. — Avoid  as  much  as  possible  opening  or 
otherwise  disturbing  the  bees  after  they  have  ceased 
to  work  in  the  fall  until  they  commence  work  in  the 
spring,  particularly  when  the  temperature  is  below 
60°.  The  hives  should,  however,  be  occasionally 
freed  from  all  dead  bees  and  other  impure  matter. 

REMEDY  FOR  DYSENTERY. 

FIRST. — See  that  the  bees  are  supplied  with  an 
abundance  of  wholesome  food. 

SECOND. — If  there  is  no  immediate  prospect  of  a 
warm  day,  to  allow  them  to  fly  out  and  relieve  them- 
selves, and  the  case  is  a  bad  one,  remove  the  hive  to 
a  room  or  other  place  having  full  light  and  a  temper- 
ature above  60°.  Attach  to  the  entrance  of  the 
hive  a  box  having  one  or  more  of  its  sides  made  of 
glass  or  wire  screen,  or  a  net  similar  to  the  one 
recommended  for  catching  swarms,  (see  plate  xxxn, 
fig.  57,)  and  allow  the  bees  to  fly  freely  in  it. 

They  will  usually  return  into  the  hive  as  soon  as 
it  is  dark.  After  this  exercise  and  their  return,  the 
hive  should  be  kept  protected  from  cold,  and  no  light 
allowed  to  enter  it.  As  soon,  however,  as  the  weather 
will  admit  of  their  flying  with  safety,  remove  them 
to  a  suitable  stand  and  give  them  their  liberty. 

All  bees  after  they  have  been  long  confined  evince 
considerable  uneasiness  to  fly,  even  when  the  weather 
is  quite  cold ;  they  should  be  restrained  by  darkening 
the  hive  and  admitting  more  air.  There  is  but  little 


86  DISEASES. 


danger  of  giving  the  bees  too  much,  provided  the 
wind  is  not  permitted  to  blow, directly  on  them. 


FOUL   BROOD. 

"  Foul  brood  "  *  is  the  only  contagious  disease 
peculiar  to  bees  with  which  I  am  acquainted.  Noth- 
ing is  known  at  present  concerning  the  origin  or 
cause  of  this  disease  ;  it  seems,  however,  to  have 
been  in  existence  more  than  two  thousand  years  ago, 
yet  we  have  no  definite  information  concerning  it 
until  comparatively  a  recent  period.  There  can  be 
but  little  doubt,  however,  that  it,  like  small-pox  and 
other  contagious  diseases,  was  in  existence  long  ago, 
and  that  it  has  been  perpetuated  in  like  manner.  If 
the  one  is  ever  spontaneously  produced,  so  too  the 
other  may  be.  This,  however,  is  an  open  question. 

Mr.  Quinby,  many  years  ago,  "  made  enquiries 
through  the  Cultivator,  (an  agricultural  paper)  as  to 
a  cause  and  remedy,  offering  a  reward  for  one  that 
would  not  fail  when  thoroughly  tested." 

Mr.  Weeks,  in  answer,  said  "  that  cold  weather, 
in  spring,  chilling  the  brood  was  the  cause."  Another 
gentleman  said,  "  dead  bees  and  filth  that  accumu- 
lated during  winter,  when  suffered  to  remain  in  the 
spring,  was  the  cause." 

*  So  called  by  the  Germans.  Diseased  brood  by  Quinby,  and 
is  probably  the  same  disease  as  was  called  Faux  Convain  by 
Schirac.  According  to  Langstroth,  this  disease  was  probably 
known  to  Aristotle,  "  who  was  born  in  Stagyra,  Macedon,  abont 
384  years  before  Christ." 


FOUL    BROOD.  87 

"  A  few  years  after,  another  correspondent  appeared 
in  the  Cultivator,  giving  particulars  of  his  experience, 
proving  very  conclusively  to  himself  and  many  others 
that  cold  was  the  cause." 

Mr.  Quinby  says :  "  Had  I  no  experience  further 
than  this,  I  should,  perhaps,  rest  satisfied  as  to  the 
cause,  and  should  endeavor  to  apply  the  remedy." 

Several  other  writers  have  appeared  in  different 
papers  on  this  subject,  and  nearly  all  who  assign  a 
cause  have  given  this  one  as  the  most  probable. 

"  Now  I  have  known  the  chrysalis  in  a  few  stocks 
to  be  chilled  and  destroyed  by  a  sudden  turning  of 
cold  weather,  yet  these  were  removed  by  the  bees 
soon  after,  and  the  stocks  remained  healthy.  To  me 
the  cause  assigned  appears  inadequate  to  produce 
all  the  results  with  the  larvae.  After  close,  patient 
observation  of  fifteen  years,  I  have  never  yet  been 
wholly  satisfied  that  any  one  instance  among  my  bees 
was  thus  produced." 

It  is  a  singular  fact  that  Mr.  Quinby  and  Mr. 
Dzierzon,  both  of  whom  recommend  and  practice  the 
wintering  of  bees  in  large  numbers  in  dark  reposito- 
ries or  cellars,  have  been  the  greatest  sufferers  from 
this  disease,  and  the  first  (as  far  as  I  know)  to  defi- 
nitely describe  and  publish  its  character. 

Mr.  Dzierzon  attributed  the  origin  of  the  disease, 
in  his  case,  to  feeding  bees  on  American  honey,  but 
is  not  sure  that  such  was  the  fact. 

Whether  they  had  discovered  its  existence  in  their 
apiaries  previous  to  practicing  the  above  method  of 


88  DISEASES. 

wintering  bees,  does  not  appear.  Information  con- 
cerning it,  from  either  of  them,  would  doubtless  throw 
important  light  on  the  subject.  There  can  be  no 
doubt,  however,  that  in  wintering  bees  in  the  above 
mariner,  if  a  single  hive  in  the  lot  has  the  disease, 
the  vitiated  air  arising  from  it  would  infect  many  of 
the  adjoining  hives,  with  as  much  certainty  as  if  they 
had  obtained  infected  honey. 

It  has  been  supposed  by  some  that  foul  brood  was 
caused  by  shipping  bees  across  the  Isthmus  to  Califor- 
nia. Having  made  two  shipments  myself,  I  am  prob- 
ably as  well  qualified  to  judge  of  this  matter  as  any 
other  person.  And  I  can  safely  say,  that  I  have  never 
seen  anything  to  indicate  such  a  result.  Neither 
have  I  found  it  to  exist  in  any  bees  when  brought 
into  this  State  from  healthy  districts  in  the  East. 
Consequently,  I  am  forced  to  the  conclusion  that 
every  hive  having  the  disease  when  landed  in  Cali- 
fornia, had  it  previously  to  being  shipped  from  the 
Atlantic  States,  and  that  it  has  been  spread  from 
those,  to  large  numbers  of  hives  previously  healthy. 

"  In  the  year  1848,  a  fatal  pestilence,  known  by 
the  name  of  '  foul  brood/  prevailed  among  his  (Dzier- 
zon's)  bees,  and  destroyed  nearly  all  his  colonies 
before  it  could  be  subdued,  only  about  ten  having 
escaped  the  malady,  which  attacked  alike  the  old 
stocks  and  his  artificial  swarms.  He  estimates  his 
entire  loss  that  year  at  over  five  hundred  colonies. 
Nevertheless,  he  succeeded  so  well  in  multiplying  by 
artificial  swarms  the  few  that  remained  healthy,  that 


FOUL   BROOD.  89 

'    w' 

in  the  fall  of  1851  his  stock  consisted  of  nearly  four 
hundred  colonies." 

"  Mr.  Quinby  informs  me  that  he  has  lost  as  many 
as  one  hundred  colonies  in  a  year  from  this  pesti- 
lence. It  has  never  made  its  appearance  in  my 
apiaries,  and  I  should  regard  its  general  dissemina- 
tion through  our  country  as  the  greatest  possible 
calamity  to  bee-keepers." — -Langstroth. 

Mr.  Quinby  says,  in  the  "  Mysteries  of  Bee-keeping 
Explained,"  that  this  disease  is  probably  of  recent 
origin  ;  that  Mr.  Miner  knew  nothing  of  it  until  he 
moved  from  Long  Island  to  Ontario  county,  New  York. 
Mr.  Weeks,  in  a  communication  to  the  N.  E.  Farmer, 
says  :  "  Since  the  potato  rot  commenced,  I  have  lost 
one-fourth  of  my  stocks  annually  by  this  disease ;" 
at  the  same  time  adding  his  fear  that  this  race  of 
insects  will  become  extinct  from  this  cause,  if  not 
arrested.  He  says  "  it  attacks  the  chrysalis  (pupa) 
instead  of  the  larva." 

He  (Quinby)  claims  that  his  experience  "  goes 
back  to  a  date  beyond  many  others ;  it  is  almost 
twenty  years  since  the  first  case  was  noticed."  ("  Mys- 
teries of  Bee-keeping  Explained"  was  copy-righted 
in  1853  ;  hence  we  infer  the  above  was  written  about 
that  time.)  "  I  had  kept  bees  but  four  or  five  years, 
when  I  discovered  it  in  one  of  my  best  stocks." 

"  A  post-mortem  examination  revealed  the  follow- 
ing circumstances:  Nine-tenths  of  the  breeding 
cells  were  found  to  contain  young  bees  in  the  larva 
state,  stretched  out  at  full  length,  sealed  over,  dead, 


90  DEBASES.  • 

black,  putrid  and  emitting  a  disagreeable  stench. 
I  learned  why  there  was  a  scarcity 
of  bees  in  the  hive ;  what  should  have  constituted 
their  increase  had  died  in  the  cells ;  none  of  them 
were  removed,  consequently  but  few  cells  where  any 
bees  could  be  matured  were  left."  He  further  says 
that  the  cause  is  uncertain,  but  attributes  its  spread 
to  contagion  ;  that  honey  carried  from  infected  stocks 
will  impart  the  disease  to  the  hive  receiving  it.  As 
a  check  to  the  spread  of  this  disease,  he  recommends 
that  no  stock  be  permitted  to  dwindle  away  until 
plundered  by  others ;  by  persevering  in  this  course, 
he  thinks  the  disease  would  soon  disappear. 

Mr.  Quinby  supposed  this  disease  of  recent  origin, 
hence  it  would  appear  that  his  was  one  of  the  first 
cases  noticed  in  the  United  States. 

At  present  this  disease  exists  to  some  extent  in 
New  York,  New  Jersey,  in  some  portions  of  the  New 
England  States,  and  in  the  northeast  corner  of  Penn- 
sylvania. From  the  above  places  it  has  been  intro- 
duced to  California  and  Oregon,  along  with  bees 
imported  during  the  last  three  or  four  years,  and  is 
now  almost  as  widely  spread  on  the  Pacific  slope  as 
the  bees  themselves.  The  fact  that  the  disease  had 
been  introduced  to  California  was  furnished  by  me  to 
the  agricultural  jurnals,  and  was  published  in  March, 
I860.*  It  seems,  however,  to  have  been  known  to 

*  Previous  to  July,  1859,  I  had  never  seen  a  case  of  foul  brood, 
and  was  skeptical  as  to  its  existence,  attributing  the  death  of  the 
brood  to  hunger  and  cold.  But  at  the  above  time  some  diseased 


STATE   OF   DISEASE   IN   THE   BROOD.  91 

some  persons  years  previous,  but  w^as  not  by  them 
made  public. 


SEAT   OF   DISEASE   IN   THE   BROOD. 

The  disease  attacks  the  young  bees  while  in 
embryo,  and  at  the  stage  of  growth  denominated 
pupa,  which  they  attain  soon  after  being  sealed  over 
by  the  workers.  At  this  juncture,  and  while  in  the 
act  of  spinning  their  cocoons,  they  are  suddenly 
seized  with  the  disease  and  die  within  their  cells,  and 


comb  was  shown  to  me,  although  it  was  entirely  different  from 
anything  I  had  ever  seen,  yet  I  attributed  it  wholly  to  bad  man- 
agement, not  doubting  but  it  would  disappear  with  different  treat- 
ment. I  paid  no  more  attention  to  the  matter  till  in  the  latter 
part  of  January,  1860,  at  which  time  I  was  called  on  to  examine 
some  hives  of  bees  that  had  been  purchased  from  the  same  party 
that  had  exhibited  the  diseased  comb  to  me  the  previous  season. 
I  found  that  the  bees  of  some  of  the  hives  had  swarmed  out ;  on 
examining  the  combs  I  found  them  to  agree  so  exactly  with  the 
description  of  "  diseased  brood "  given  by  Quinby,  that  I  no 
longer  had  any  doubts  as  to  the  existence  of  foul  brood.  From 
information  which  I  received  from  the  East  about  the  same  time, 
I  was  made  aware  that  large  numbers  of  diseased  hives  had 
arrived  and  were  on  the  way  to  this  State.  I  then  notified  a 
number  of  persons  who  had  purchased  bees  of  us,  to  beware  of 
certain  bees  ;  not  to  permit  any  of  them  to  be  placed  near  their 
stocks,  as  there  was  danger  of  the  disease  being  communicated, 
etc.  A  portion  took  warning,  while  others  made  purchases  of 
diseased  stock,  many  of  which  swarmed  out  on  the  first  warm 
days  of  spring  and  were  lost.  In  most  instances  they  left  honey, 
which,  as  is  always  the  case,  was  soon  carried  off  by  neighboring 
bees.  Thus  many  stocks  previously  healthy  became  diseased, 
and  were  totallv  lost. 


92  DISEASES. 

are  suffered  by  the  bees  to  remain  and  rot',  thus  gen- 
erating a  most  offensive  effluvia,  which  affects  the 
general  health  of  the  bees  in  the  hive  where  it  exists.* 
After  the  effluvia  subsides,  the  cells,  being  nearly 
empty,  are  cleaned  out  by  the  bees  and  again  used 
for  breeding,  (this  however  is  only  while  a  numerous 
swarm  remains)  and  what  seems  most  singular  is, 
that  a  portion  of  the  next  generation  of  brood  reared 
in  the  same  cells  come  to  maturity,  while  in  adjoining 
cells  that  previously  produced  mature  bees,  increased 
numbers  of  dead  are  found.  During  cold,  moist 
weather,  the  disease  increases  rapidly,  but  as  soon  as 
it  changes  to  warm  and  dry,  the  disease  frequently 
abates,  exhibiting  an  intermittent  character.  It  is 
generally  about  three  months  from  the  time  the  virus 
is  introduced  into  a  hive  before  the  disease  appears, 


*  Having  advanced  the  idea  that  the  health  of  the  adult  bees  was 
affected  by  this  disease,  I  instituted  the  following  experiment  to 
prove  it :  On  a  clean  white  paper  I  dissected  twelve  bees  taken 
at  random  out  of  a  hive  that  was  badly  affected,  over  half  the 
brood  being  dead,  and  emitting  an  intolerable  stench.  The  intes- 
tines of  seven  were  found  to  contain  excrementitious  matter  of  a 
dark  color  and  offensive  smell,  being  evidently  the  result  of  dis- 
ease. The  other  five  were  found  to  contain  matter  of  a  yellow 
color,  comparing  exactly  with  that  of  bees  taken  from  healthy 
hives,  dissected  on  the  same  paper.  This  was  satisfactory  evi- 
dence to  my  mind,  that  a  proportion  of  the  adult  bees  in  hives 
having  foul  brood  are  diseased,  and  reproduce  it  in  hives  to  which 
they  may  be  driven,  unless  repeated  a  number  of  times,  during 
which  a  portion  of  them  die,  and  the  balance,  by  being  compelled 
to  fly,  discharge  their  filth. 


STATE    OF   DISEASE   IN   THE   BROOD.  93 

and  from  six  months  to  two  years  more  before  it 
terminates  fatally.* 

Mr.  Quinby  says  that  hives  "  in  which  the  disease 
has  not  advanced  too  far  will  generally  swarm."  I 
have  had  no  experience  in  this  particular,  but  think 
it  unlikely  that  many  swarms  or  much  surplus  honey 
will  ever  be  obtained  after  the  disease  is  once  seated. 
Mr.  Langstroth  says :  "  There  are  two  species  of  foul 
brood,  one  of  which  the  Germans  call ,  the  dry  and 
the  other  the  moist  or  foetid.  The  dry  appears  to 
be  only  partial  in  its  effects  and  not  contagious,  the 
brood  simply  dying  and  drying  up  in  certain  parts  of 
the  combs." 

From  numerous  examinations  which  I  have  made 
of  diseased  hives  imported  into  California  during  the 

*  This  opinion  was  founded  on  the  following  experiment :  In 
the  month  of  February,  1860,  upwards  of  one  hundred  hives  of 
newly  jmported  bees,  most  of  them  diseased,  were  placed  within 
one  hundred  rods  of  a  stock  of  thirteen  full  and"  healthy  hives. 
Honey  from  the  dead  and  weak  hives  of  the  former  being  exposed 
within  the  reach  of  the  latter,  they  immediately  appropriated  it 
to  their  own  use,  thereby  planting  the  seeds  of  disease,  which, 
however,  did  not  develop  itself  so  as  to  be  discernable  till  in  May, 
being  about  three  months  from  the  time  they  obtained  the  infected 
honey.  Several  other  instances  of  the  disease  being  contracted 
in  like  manner  have  also  come  under  my  own  observation,  each 
tending  to  confirm  the  above  idea  of  the  time  between  the  infec- 
tion and  the  development  of  the  disease. 

Since  the  above  was  written,  a  case  has  come  to  my  knowledge 
where  infected  honey  was  said  to  have  been  obtained  and  the 
disease  developed  within  six  weeks ;  this  occurred  during  July 
and  August,  1860,  yet  it  is  possible  that  the  disease  in  this  case 
was  communicated  at  an  earlier  date. 


94  DISEASES. 

fall  of  1859  and  spring  of  1860,  I  have  arrived  at 
the  conclusion  that  what  has  been  called  the  dry  foul 
brood  is  but  a  condition  of  the  moist,  or  is  chilled 
brood  simply  left  remaining  in  the  cells,  and  becom- 
ing mummied,  which  is  a  thing  of  common  occur- 
rence in  hives  that  are  not  strong. 


MICROSCOPIC    EXAMINATIONS. 

I  am  indebted  to  Dr.  Harkness,  of  Sacramento 
City,  for  his  kindness  in  making  numerous  micro- 
scopic examinations  of  specimens  of  brood  combs, 
submitted  to  him  at  different  times  during  the  months 
of  March,  April,  and  May,  1860.  The  following  in- 
teresting letter  gives  the  result  of  his  examinations  : 

MR.  J.  S.  HARBISON — 

Dear  Sir  : — Having  made  careful  microsopic  examination  of 
the  samples  of  healthy  and  diseased  brood  combs  placed  in 
my  hands  by  you,  I  find  the  following  conditions  to  exist  ?  First, 
in  all  the  samples  of  healthy  brood,  I  find  the  cocoon  surround- 
ing each  pupa  or  young  bee,  whether  finished  or  only  partly  so, 
to  be  constructed  with  great  regularity,  the  threads  of  each 
being  arranged  in  the  same  relative  position,  forming  a  regular 
system  of  delicate  net-work.  Second,  in  the  samples  containing 
diseased  brood,  I  find,  in  most  cases,  that  death  has  occurred 
while  the  pupa  was  in  the  act  of  forming  its  cocoon,  as  I  find 
them  constructed  with  great  irregularity,  and  in  an  unfinished 
state.  In  some  of  the  samples,  however,  I  find  cells  interspersed 
in  which  the  larva  has  entirely  disappeared,  leaving  a  residiuum 
of  dark,  inorganic  matter,  emitting  a  foul  and  disagreeable  odor. 
Upon  examining  the  cocoon  of  such  under  the  microscope,  I 
find  that  it  is  complete  in  texture  and  finish,  showing  that 


HOW  TO  DETECT  FOUL  BROOD.        95 

the  pupa  was  ready  to  change  to  a  more  perfect  state  of  exist- 
ence at  the  time  of  its  death,  giving  rise  to  a  doubt  as  to  the 
cause  producing  it.  Being  apparently  the  first  case  to  occiir  in 
the  hive,  may  it  not  have  resulted  from  chill  in  the  winter  ? 
If  such  is  the  fact,  the  effluvia  arising  from  these  decaying 
bodies,  in  my  opinion  would,  under  certain  circumstances,  poi- 
son the  young  larvae  in  adjoining  cells  before  being  sealed  up  ; 
the  disease  thus  engendered  proving  fatal  after  the  larva  has 
reached  the  pupa  state,  and  while  in  the  act  of  forming  its 
cocoon. 

H.  W.  HABKNESS. 
SACRAMENTO,  June  12th,  1860. 

Chilled  brood  may  be  a  cause,  amongst  a  combina- 
tion, to  produce  the  disease,  yet  I  have  never  seen  a 
case  (although  I  have  had  chilled  brood  under  almost 
every  conceivable  circumstance)  that  would  go  to 
prove  such  a  result. 


HOW  TO  DETECT  FOUL  BROOD. 

To  detect  foul  brood,  observe  the  capping  of  the 
cells :  while  those  containing  healthy  brood  are  of  a 
yellow  color  and  appear  regular,  those  containing 
dead  are  of  a  dark  color  and  are  slightly  sunken  ; 
(chilled  brood  has  the  capping  of  the  cells  raised 
almost  invariably)  on  opening  them,  their  condition  is 
easily  seen.  The  living  pupa  is  nearly  white,  till  it 
attains  the  form  of  the  perfect  bee  ;  it  then  gradu- 
ally turns  to  a  brown  or  grayish  color.  When  death 
has  resulted  from  disease,  and  is  recent,  the  pupa 
will  be  found  discolored,  being  a  dull  brown  color ; 
but  if  dead  some  time,  a  portion  of  ropy  matter  will 


yb  DISEASES. 

be  found.  While  if  death  occurred  several  weeks 
or  months  previously,  the  capping  of  the  cell  will  be 
found  entirely  black  ;  on  opening  it,  only  a  small  por- 
tion of  dry  animal  fiber  will  be  found  at  the  bottom 
of  the  cell.  If  the  disease  has  caused  death  several 
months  previously,  occasional  cells  are  found  of  a  dark 
color,  and  so  coated  over  with  wax  or  propolis  as  to 
make  them  quite  oval,  and  bees  do  not  like  to  cluster 
on  them.  On  opening  these  cells,  they  are  found  to 
contain  a  small  portion  of  inorganic  matter,  and  to 
emit  a  disagreeable  small,  somewhat  resembling  that 
from  carrion. 

This,  to  a  person  familiar  with  it,  is  sufficient  evi- 
dence of  the  presence  of  the  disease.  It  is  possible 
that  where  a  limited  number  of  the  pupa  die  from 
disease,  and  the  bees  discovering  the  same  at  once 
seal  them  densely  with  wax  or  propolis,  the  spread  of 
the  disease  may  be  prevented  for  a  time.  Even  the 
virus  contained  in  honey  may  be  carried  in  and  sealed 
up,  to  remain  for  a  considerable  length  of  time,  and 
then  fed  to  brood,  causing  their  death,  as  well  as  a 
farther  spread  of  the  disease. 

Chilled  brood,  as  has  before  been  stated,  will  most- 
ly have  the  capping  of  the  cells  raised  ;  on  opening 
them,  the  young  bee  is  found  to  be  dead,  but  will 
show  the  head  and  other  members  nearly  developed. 

Pupa,  if  dead  from  chill,  at  first  has  a  dark  streak 
through  its  center  ;  when  decayed,  it  turns  of  a  gray 
color,  arid  watery,  with  sediment  not  usually  ropy. 
Chilled  larva  turns  nearly  black  soon  after  death. 


NO   CURE — SANITARY  MEASURES.  97 

In  all  cases  of  death  from  chill,  the  skin  remains 
whole,  or  shows  a  separate  texture  from  the  body ; 
(at  least  for  some  time)  while  in  foul  brood  the  skin 
decomposes  as  soon  as  any  other  part  of  it,  the  whole 
melting  into  a  jelly-like  substance. 


NO   CURE — SANITARY  MEASURES. 

No  cure  has  as  yet  been  discovered  for  this  dis- 
ease, although  it  has  existed  for  so  long  a  period ; 
neither  is  it  likely  that  there  will  be,  other  than  by  a 
constant  watching  for  and  destruction  of  every  ves- 
tige of  every  hive,  together  with  all  their  contents, 
whenever  found  to  contain  the  disease.* 

This  plan  has  been  found  to  be  the  only  safe  one, 
as  every  delay  and  every  effort  made  to  cure  it  by 
driving  the  bees,  is  liable  to  result  in  communicating 
it  to  healthy  stocks.  This  may  be  done  by  remov- 
ing the  infected  honey,  or  by  the  bees  from  diseased 

* "  Three  weeks  from  the  first  swarm  will  be  the  time  to 
examine  them.  It  is  easily  done  now,  as  about  all  the  healthy 
brood  (except  drones)  should  be  mature  in  that  time.  Again, 
after  the  breeding  season  is  over,  in  the  fall,  every  stock  should  be 
thoroughly  inspected,  and  all  diseased  ones  condemned.  It  is  better  to 
do  it,  even  if  it  should  take  the  last  one.  It  would  pay  much 
better  to  procure  others  instead,  that  are  healthy." — Quiriby. 

In  addition  to  making  the  special  examinations  as  above,  I  would 
recommend  that  at  any  time  when  a  hive  is  noticed  to  be  in  a 
weak  or  despondent  condition,  it  be  immediately  examined  as  to  the 
cause. 


98  DISEASES. 

hives  swarming  out  and  entering  other  hives  that  are 
healthy. 

The  transferring  of  any  combs,  (whether  empty 
or  containing  stores  or  brood)  queen  cells,  honey, 
bees,  or  any  other  thing  whatever  from  a  diseased 
hive,  or  any  one  that  may  be  suspected  of  disease, 
into  healthy  hives,  should  be  strictly  avoided. 

Neither  should  any  hive  be  again  used  that  has 
once  been  occupied  by  diseased  bees. 

In  any  apiary  where  the  disease  makes  its  appear- 
ance, or  the  bees  have  been  exposed  to  contagion, 
the  formation  of  colonies,  forcing  of  swarms,  and 
all  interchange  of  combs  should  at  once  be  discontin- 
ued, for  by  either  of  these  processes  the  disease  is 
certain  to  be  extended.  NATURAL  SWARMS  ALONE 

SHOULD  BE  DEPENDED  ON  FOR  INCREASE,  and  they 

should  be  removed  the  same  evening  that  they  are 
hived  to  a  distance  of  at  least  two  miles  from  any 
stock  having  the  disease.  Thus,  by  persevering  in 
the  destruction  of  all  that  are  diseased,  and  the  con- 
stant separation  of  all  new  swarms  as  above  directed, 
the  disease  can  be  annihilated ;  but  probably  never 
will  be  by  any  other  method. 

Driving  the  bees  from  diseased  hives  and  placing 
them  in  new  ones,  has  been  practiced  to  some  extent, 
but  has  been  attended  by  various  results.  Some 
have  become  apparently  healthy  under  this  treat- 
ment, while  isi  a  majority  of  cases  the  disease  has 
reappeared. 

In  fact,  the  greatest  good  thus  far  accomplished  by 


DIRECTIONS   FOR   DRIVING.  99 

it  has  been  to  hasten  the  destruction  of  diseased  bees, 
which  but  few  persons  not  knowing  their  true  inter- 
est would  do  directly. 

In  short,  I  believe  that  the  time  and  money  spent 
in  diving  bees,  (particularly  if  badly  affected)  will 
in  most  cases  be  worth  more  than  the  bees,  even  if 
successfully  cured. 

It  is  both  safer  and  cheaper  to  establish  an  apiary 
with  one  or  two  healthy  hives  at  one  hundred  dollars 
each,  than  to  start  with  any  number  of  diseased  hives, 
even  if  received  as  a  gift. 

DIRECTIONS   FOR   DRIVING. 

To  bee-keepers  who  may  wish  to  try  driving,  I 
would  recommend  the  following  plan. 

FIRST. — Have  ready  a  common  cheap  box,  well 
ventilated,  into  which  to  drive  and  confine  the  bees. 

SECOND. — The  hive  containing  the  bees  to  be 
driven  is  to  be  gently  opened,  if  it  is  a  frame  hive, 
at  the  top,  but  if  not,  invert  it. 

THIRD. — Have  ready  some  well  sweetened  water, 
and  sprinkle  over  the  bees,  continuing  to  supply 
them  till  they  are  effectually  gorged  (this  is  to  pre- 
vent their  filling  themselves  with  tainted  honey). 
All  the  bees  are  then  to  be  driven  into  the  box,  as 
directed  in  Chapter  on  Transferring. 

But  no  combs  or  stores  of  any  kind  are  to  be 
given  to  them  at  this  time.  As  soon  as  the  bees  are 
driven  into  the  box  and  confined,  all  the  combs  and 


100  DISEASES. 

stores  should  at  once  be  so  disposed  of  as  to  prevent 
any  bees  from  ever  having  access  to  them. 

FOURTH. — This  driving  should  positively  be  done 
AFTER  DARK  ;  it  can  either  be  done  out  of  doors,  on 
a  mild,  calm  evening,  or  removed  inside  of  a*build- 
ing,  to  allow  of  a  light  to  see  to  work  by. 

This  precaution  is  doubly  important ;  first,  to  pre- 
vent any  other  bees  from  getting  honey ;  second,  to 
prevent  the  straggling  bees  from  the  diseased  hive 
entering  others  in  the  vicinity. 

FIFTH. — The  driven  bees  are  to  be  confined  in 
the  box  till  one  hour  before  sunset  on  the  following 
afternoon,  when  they  are  to  be  placed  on  their  orig- 
inal stand,  and  the  box  opened  to  permit  them  to  fly. 
After  dark,  place  as  much  feed  within  the  box  (dis- 
solved sugar  is  best)  as  they  can  consume  the  fol- 
lowing day,  and  again  confine  them  till  the  following 
afternoon  as  before.  Now  have  ready  a  second  box, 
similar  in  appearance  to  the  one  the  bees  are  in, 
which  is  to  be  put  in  its  place  with  an  aperture  open 
for  the  bees  to  enter. 

The  box  containing  the  bees  is  now  to  be  turned 
bottom  up,  a  few  feet  in  front  of  its  former  position, 
and  the  bees  allowed  to  take  wing  and  return  into 
the  second  box. 

They  should  be  disturbed  to  compel  them  to  fly, 
and  if  possible  the  queen  should  be  found  and  put  in 
the  box.  The  compelling  the  bees  to  fly  is  to  allow 
them  to  discharge  their  filth,  which  doubtless  helps 
to  free  them  from  the  virus  contained  in  their  bodies. 


DIRECTIONS  FOR  DRIVING.        101 

SIXTH. — Early  on  the  following  morning,  place 
in  a  new,  clean  hive,  one  or  more  combs  containing 
not  less  than  four  or  five  pounds  of  stores  from  any 
healthy  hive  ;  then  drive  the  bees  into  it,  and  place 
upon  the  permanent  stand,  and  give  them  their  lib- 
erty. 

Giving  them  stores  prevents  the  tendency  to 
swarm  out,  which  will  prevail  if  not  so  supplied. 

The  process  of  redriving  may  be  carried  still  fur- 
ther. I  would  recommend,  however,  that  driving  be 
only  done  at  a  time  when  pasturage  is  abundant. 


OF  THK 

UNIVERSITY 


CHAPTER   V. 

ENEMIES. 


Bears 105 

Skunks 105 

Rats , 106 

Mice • 106 

Toads 107 

Birds  of  California 107 

Woodpecker 107 

King  Bird 108 

Pewitt 108 

Bee  Moth 108 

Indications  of  Moth  Worms 114 

Moths  should  he  Exterminated 114 

No  Moth-proof  Hive 115 

Ants 116 

To  drive  Ants  away 117 

Wasps  and  Yellow-Jackets 118 

Spiders 118 


1/051 


CHAPTER   V. 

ENEMIES. 


The  enemies  of  bees  are  certain  animals,  birds  and 
insects. 

BEARS. 

Among  animals,  bears  are  known  to  be  such  lovers 
of  honey  as  frequently  to  search  out  a  bee-tree  in 
the  forest,  gnaw  a  hole  into  the  cavity  occupied  by 
the  bees,  and  devour  the  honey. 

In  some  instances  they  have  visited  apiaries,  over- 
turned the  hives,  and  helped  themselves  to  the  con- 
tents, honey,  comb  and  bees. 


SKUNKS. 

Skunks,  or  polecats,  are  also  formidable  enemies 
of  the  bee  family.  They  search  for  and  dig  up  the 
nests  of  wasps  and  hornets,  humble  bees,  &c.,  eat  the 
brood  and  mature  insects  and  honey,  if  any  is  found. 
They  also  frequently  visit  apiaries,  and  if  they  find 
bees  clustered  on  the  outside  of  the  hive,  they  will 
devour  large  numbers  of  them.  If  none  are  on  the 


106  ENEMIES. 

outside  they  scratch  at  the  entrance,  which  causes 
the  bees  to  run  out,  when  they  are  devoured.  If 
they  can  reach  it,  they  will  also  devour  the  comb  con- 
taining the  brood  and  honey  also.  To  prevent  their 
ravages,  elevate  the  hives  two  or  three  feet  from  the 
ground,  so  that  they  cannot  reach  them.  A  good 
dog,  or  the  use  of  strychnine,  will  keep  them  away 
or  give  them  their  quietus. 


KATS. 

Eats  will  also  devour  large  quantities  of  honey, 
and  destroy  the  comb,  whenever  they  can  gain  access 
to  it.  I  am  not  aware  that  they  eat  bees. 


MICE. 

The  white-bellied  wood  mouse  is  a  formidable  ene- 
my. Entering  the  hive  during  cold  weather,  they 
mutilate  the  combs  and  build  their  nests,  and  not 
only  create  a  noisome  stench,  but  eat  both  bees  and 
honey. 

It  might  reasonably  be  supposed  that  the  bees 
would  sting  them.  This  I  suspect  seldom  happens, 
as  they  only  take  up  their  abode  within  the  hive  dur- 
ing the  continuance  of  cool  weather,  and  then  are 
only  in  motion  during  the  night. 

They  should  be  excluded  from  the  hive  by  a 
timely  contraction  of  the  entrance.  When  they  are 
found  to  have  made  a  lodgment,  the  hive  should  be 


WOODPECKER.  107 

carefully  cleansed  from  all  impurities,  otherwise 
the  bees  are  liable  to  desert  it  on  the  return  of 
warm  weather.  The  common  house  mouse  is  also 
an  enemy. 

TOADS. 

The  toad  will  frequently  visit  a  hive  in  the  dusk 
of  the  evening,  and  either  catch  the  bees  as  they 
cluster  on  the  outside,  or  catch  those  that  accident- 
ally drop  on  the  ground ;  to  prevent  which,  have  the 
hive  elevated  one  or  two  feet,  and  in  such  a  manner 
that  they  cannot  climb  up  to  it ;  or  they  may  be  forc- 
ibly ejected  from  the  premises,  and  placed  where 
their  services  are  more  particularly  needed. 


BIRDS    OP   CALIFORNIA. 

I  have  not  noticed  any  kind  of  birds  whatever 
catching  bees  in  California,  yet  there  may  be  some 
that  do. 


WOODPECKER. 

The  red-headed  woodpecker  of  the  Atlantic 
States  is  an  inveterate  bee-catcher,  and  is  perhaps 
the  only  one  of  the  bird  tribe  that  should  be  exe- 
cuted for  this  offense,  as  I  doubt  whether  they 
destroy  enough  of  other  insects  to  compensate  for 
what  b3es  they  kill. 


108 


ENEMIES. 


KING   BIRD. 


The  king  bird  frequently  catches  bees,  and  I  am 
always  tempted  to  shoot  at  them  when  I  see  them 
depredating. 

Mr.  Qumby  thinks  they  only  catch  drones.  I  will 
"  guess"  that  they  prefer  a  dainty  drop  of  honey  to 
the  gross  carcass  of  the  drone. 


PEWITT. 

The  pewitt,  and  a  few  other  varieties  of  birds, 
occasionally  catch  bees ;  but  as  they  render  valuable 
services  to  man,  in  destroying  other  insects,  I  think 
they  should  be  protected. 

BEE  MOTH.     (GALLERIA  CEREANA.) 

The  bee  moth  has  been  known  and  described  by 
various  ancient  authors,  amongst  whom  are  "  Aris- 
totle, Virgil  and  Columella."  It  seems  to  have  been 
as  destructive  to  the  bees  then  as  now. 

This  insect  is  a  distinct  variety  of  the  moth  tribe, 
and  is  so  dependent  on  honey  bees  for  its  subsist- 
ence, that  no  instance  is  known  of  its  being  found 
apart  from  them.  Hence  there  is  but  little  doubt 
that  it  has,  at  some  period,  been  brought  to  this 
continent  with  the  bees. 

We  have  no  definite  account  of  their  depredations 
amongst  the  older  settlements,  but  may  it  not  have 
been  that  they  were  so  well  known  as  to  excite  no 
remark  ? 


BEE   MOTH.  •    109 

It  must  be  borne  in  mind,  that  at  this  early  period, 
vegetation  was  luxuriant,  and  uncropped  to  a  great 
extent  by  domestic  animals,  so  that  the  bee  had 
almost  an  uninterrupted  harvest.  This,  it  is  well 
known,  would  give  the  worms  less  chance  to  increase 
than  if  a  dearth  of  pasturage  prevailed;  for  when 
bees  are  prosperous  they  subdue  the  worms  with  ease, 
but  when  not  adding  to  existing  stores  they  decrease, 
and  thus  afford  the  worms  a  season  of  peace  and 
plenty  which  enables  them  to  increase  more  rapidly. 

Owing  to  the  peculiar  habit  of  the  honey  bee  in 
swarming  and  flying  long  distances  before  locating, 
they  were  enabled  to  leave  the  moths  far  in  the  rear  ; 
they  thus  advanced  westward  without  the  aid  of  man, 
and  being  found  by  the  settlers  in  the  wilderness,  who 
captured  and  cultivated  them,  no  worms  troubled 
them  for  many  years.  Hence  it  is  not  strange  that 
when  they  did  come  they  were  mistaken  for  a  new 
enemy. 

It  has  been  about  forty  years  since  the  moth  was 
first  known  west  of  the  Alleghany  mountains ;  they 
crossed  the  Mississippi  at  a  still  later  period. 

There  are  still  places  in  the  so-called  "  far  west," 
where  it  is  said  no  worms  exist. 

Of  all  the  bees  that  have  been  brought  to  Cali- 
fornia few  have  been  free  from  worms,  and  frequently 
there  have  been  more  of  them  than  bees. 

Great  carelessness  has  been  shown  by  some  im- 
porters and  purchasers  in  not  destroying  them. 
Hence  a  number  of  hives  (even  of  those  bred  in  this 


BEE   MOTH.  Ill 

steal  in  and  deposit  their  eggs  on  the  combs,  which 
they  accomplish*  unless  prevented  by  the  vigilant 
sentinels  that  are  usually  on  guard. 

They  are  not  often  baffled  in  their  purpose ;  and 
having  effected  an  entrance,  they  at  once  make  their 
way  to  the  upper  portion  of  the  hive,  where  they 
encounter  less  bees  than  at  or  near  the  mouth.  Hav- 
ing thus  gained  an  entrance,  they  deposit  their  eggs 
on  the  brood  comb.  Great  sagacity  is  displayed  in 
thus  depositing  their  eggs  where  they  will  be  hatched 
by  the  heat  naturally  ascending  from  the  bees  below, 
and  also  remaining  above  to  obtain  ample  food  with- 
out molestation  during  the  first  stage  of  their  exist- 
ence. 

Should  they  fail  to  effect  an  entrance,  they  seek  to 
deposit  their  eggs  in  cracks  or  at  the  entrance  of  the 
hive,  where  they  will  be  likely  to  come  in  contact 
with,  adhere  to,  and  be  borne  into  the  hive  by  the 
pollen  and  propolis  with  which  the  entering  bees  are 
loaded.  By  whatever  means  they  are  carried  to  the 
center  of  the  hive,  they  become  attached  to  the 
comb,  where  they  soon  hatch  out  and  burrow  under 
the  cappings  of  the  sealed  brood.  They  at  once 
commence  to  form  galleries — at  first  so  small  as 
scarcely  to  be  perceptible ;  in  fact,  their  presence  is 
only  detected  by  a  fine,  thread-like  filament,  with 
numerous  small  particles  of  wax  adhering.  But  as 
they  gain  in  size,  they  extend  and  enlarge  their  gal- 
lery, till  it  presents  the  appearance  as  shown  in  plate 

*  As  soon  as  the  eggs  are  deposited,  the  moth  dies. 


112  ENEMIES. 

v,  fig.  14,  (AA  is  the  gallery  and  B  is  a  break  in  it) 
and  fig.  15,  the  gallery  separate.  The  bees,  having 
discovered  the  presence  of  the  worm,  immediately  set 
to  work  to  remove  it,  together  with  its  silken  shroud. 
If  not  caught  and  carried  out  by  the  bees,  it  drops 
down  on  the  bottom  board,  and  seeks  a  corner  or 
crevice  in  which  to  spin  a  cocoon  to  protect  itself 
while  undergoing  the  transformation  from  the  worm 
to  the  moth.  (See  plate  vi,  fig.  16,  showing  the  worm 
during  its  first  stage  of  growth,  also  after  having 
nearly  completed  its  cocoon  ;  fig.  17,  pupa  in  the  ad- 
vanced stage,  also  cocoon  from  which  the  moth  has 
emerged.) 

Each  •  young  bee  over  which  the  worm  extends 
its  gallery,  is  either  killed  or  mutilated,  and  is  car- 
ried out  of  the  hive  by  the  bees. 
.  Sometimes  the  worms  penetrate  to  the  center  of 
the  comb  containing  brood,  and  there  form  galleries, 
entangling  the  young  bees  so  that  they  cannot  get 
free  from  it.  The  worker  bees  discovering  this,  imme- 
diately detach  a  portion  of  the  comb,  together  with 
the  young  bees  and  worms,  which  falls  to  the  bottom 
of  the  hive,  there,  perhaps,  to  form  the  nucleus  of  a 
web  soon  to  entangle  and  destroy  the  whole  colony. 
When  enough  worms  are  present  to  cause  the  bees 
to  abandon  the  portion  of  comb  occupied  by  them, 
they  spin  innumerable  threads,  extending  in  every 
direction,  enveloping  the  comb  in  a  thick  net-work. 
This  is  extended  on  all  sides,  and  securely  attached 
to  the  top  and  walls  of  the  hive — it  then  serves,  also 


PLATE    V. 


FIGURE    14. 


FIGURE    15. 


OF  THB 

TJNIVERSITY 


PLATE    VI. 


FIGURE  16. 


FIGURE  17. 


FIGURE  18. 


OF  THK 

UNIVERSITY 


BEE   MOTH.  113 

to  support  the  combs  while  they,  with  their  contents, 
are  being  devoured  by  the  voracious  worms. 

Each  worm,  as  soon  as  arrived  at  the  requisite  age, 
spins  a  cocoon  separate  for  itself ;  but  numbers  of 
these  are  generally  joined  together,  forming  large, 
compact  masses  ;  (as  shown  in  fig.  18)  then  the 
work  of  destruction  progresses,  till  scarcely  a  vestige 
of  the  handiwork  of  the  bees  remains. 

The  worms,  like  the  human,  or  rather  the  inhuman, 
pillagers  of  cities,  abandon  the  hive  as  soon  as  noth- 
ing remains  to  live  on  or  to  destroy. 

Queenless  colonies  and  small  swarms  having  newly 
built  combs,  are  the  most  liable  to  their  attacks.  The 
new  combs  are  most  frequently  penetrated  to  the 
center,  while  old  comb  is  more  generally  traversed  at 
the  surface — hence  the  latter  is  but  little  injured, 
while  the  former  is  ruined.  Young  swarms  are  fre- 
quently thus  destroyed  during  the  first  summer ;  but 
an  old  hive,  having  a  prolific  queen,  seldom  falls  a 
victim  to  their  ravages,  particularly  if  the  hives  are 
so  constructed  as  to  enable  the  bees  to  easily  remove 
all  impurities. 

Queenless  hives,  suffered  to  remain  so  for  months, 
become  hot-beds  for  the  propagation  of  worms. 

One  or  two  such  hives  will,  if  suffered  to  remain, 
breed  enough  moths  to  effectually  pollute  a  large 
apiary.  It  is  like  permitting  a  field  of  Canada  this- 
tles to  go  to  seed,  which,  by  means  of  their  wings, 
are  sure  to  be  carried  to  adjoining  fields. 


114  ENEMIES. 

INDICATIONS   OF   MOTH   WORMS. 

The  first  indication  of  the  presence  of  worms  in  a 
hive,  is  their  excrement.  It  is  either  dark  brown  or 
black,  and  is  in  grains  resembling  gunpowder,  and  is 
either  small  or  large,  according  to  the  size  of  the 
worm  voiding  it.  By  raising  the  hive  and  carefully 
examining  the  droppings  on  the  bottom  board,  it  is 
easily  distinguished  from  the  cuttings  of  the  combs, 
the  latter  being  of  a  lighter  color  and  composed  of 
wax. 

The  number  of  worms  will  be  in  proportion  to  the 
amount  of  excrement. 

"Where  hives  are  provided  with  inclined  bottom 
boards,  it  may  be  seen  at  the  entrance  without  even 
removing  the  slide.  This  indication  is  next  followed 
by  finding  an  occasional  worm  cast  down  on  the  bot- 
tom, dragged  or  driven  outside,  or  encased  in  cracks 
and  underneath  the  hive.  Young  bees,  or  portions  of 
them,  may  next  be  found  in  the  morning,  some  of 
them,  perhaps,  living,  but  with  mutilated  wings,  and 
having  a  portion  of  the  worm  web  sticking  to  them, 
crawling  upon  the  bench  or  on  the  ground  near  the 
hive,  making  vain  efforts  to  fly. 

MOTHS    SHOULD    BE   EXTERMINATED. 

The  only  effectual  remedy  that  will  avail  the  bee- 
keeper is  the  extermination  of  the  race. 

No  weak  or  queenless  hives  should  be  allowed  to 
remain  so,  as  they,  sooner  or  later,  fall  a  prey  to 


NO   MOTH-PROOF   HIVE.  115 

worms.  Nor  should  combs  or  honey  be  exposed,  to 
afford  them  food  and  shelter.  Old  hives,  that  have 
been  used  for  a  length  of  time,  but  from  which  the 
bees  have  been  transferred,  are  frequently  occupied 
by  the  worm  as  a  nursery.  These  should  always  be 
burnt. 

All  hives  should  be  frequently  and  carefully  exam- 
ined, from  April  to  November,  and  every  worm  de- 
stroyed that  can  be  found. 

A  sharp  watch  should  also  be  kept  for  the  moths, 
as  they  can  be  found  during  the  day  sticking  on  the 
hive,  or  other  objects  near  it;  or,  in  the  evening, 
caught  flying  around  the  hives;  each  one  found, 
should  be  instantly  killed.  By  persevering  in  the 
destruction  of  the  worms  in  all  stages,  and  prevent- 
ing their  propagation,  as  above  directed,  no  great 
damage  can  ever  result  from  them ;  but  if  these  ad- 
monitions are  disregarded,  vexation  and  loss  are  sure 
to  ensue. 

NO  MOTH-PROOF  HIVE. 

There  being  no  such  thing  as  a  moth-proof  hive  in 
existence,  nor  any  prospect  of  such  a  discovery  ever 
being  made,  we  are  compelled  to  be  content  with  that 
which  makes  the  nearest  approach  to  it — viz:  one 
that  gives  the  bee-keeper  easy  access  to  the  worms. 
The  best  yet  known  is  the  adjustable  frame,  or  Cali- 
fornia hive,  which  gives  the  control  of  each  comb 
separately,  in  combination  with  the  inclined  bottom, 
whereby  the  bees  are  enabled  to  remove  any  filth 


116  ENEMIES. 

that  would  otherwise  accumulate.  The  dead  space 
in  flat  bottomed  hives  serves  to  accommodate  the 
moth  with  a  nest  and  comfortable  quarters  for  her 
progeny,  to  the  great  detriment  of  the  bee.  The 
bee-keeper  is  only  able  to  remove  them  by  lifting  out 
the  frames,  and  this  is  quite  likely  to  be  neglected, 
as  it  is  a  formidable  undertaking  to  most  persons, 
particularly  if  it  has  to  be  repeated  often. 


ANTS. 

Some  have  been  of  opinion  that  bees  might  re- 
quire to  be  protected  against  ants ;  but  Reaumur 
says  that  ants  never  originate  the  pillage  of  a  hive, 
but  are  ready  to  join  in  it  after  it  has  been  com- 
menced by  others.  In  this  I  quite  agree  with  him, 
having  never  known  an  instance  to  the  contrary. 
When,  therefore,  ants  are  seen  entering  in  a  preda- 
tory manner,  it  may  fairly  be  suspected  that  gome 
other  enemy  has  been  at  work.  M.  Reaumur  was  of 
opinion  that  ants  are  not  to  be  reckoned  among  the 
enemies  of  bees  ;  and  he  relates  an  instance  of  their 
living  as  very  close  neighbors,  yet  in  perfect  harmony! 

"  The  ants  established  themselves  between  the  glass 
panes  of  this  bee-box  and  the  wooden_ shutters  which 
covered  them ;"  and  as  a  similar  circumstance  occur- 
red to  Bonnet  and  in  other  of  Reaumur's  hives  also, 
it  seems  probable  that  the  ants  took  up  their  quarters 
in  this  situation  for  the  sake  of  the  equable  warmth 
that  the  bees  would  impart  to  their  eggs.  "Ants 


TO   DRIVE   ANTS   AWAY.  117 

were  without  the  hive,"  says  Reaumur,  "  and  bees 
within ;  a  single  glass  only  separating  two  nations  so 
different  in  manners,  in  customs  and  genius.  The 
bees  were  abundantly  provided  with  a  dainty  of  which 
ants  are  exceedingly  fond — I  mean  honey.  The  ants 
had  just  reason  to  be  apprehensive,  and  the  bees 
would  be  uneasy  and  jealous  to  preserve  so  precious 
a  treasure ;  nevertheless,  the  utmost  harmony  and 
concord  prevailed  between  the  two  nations.  Not  a 
single  ant  was  tempted  to  enter  the  hive,  how  strongly 
soever  she  might  be  invited  by  the  fragrance  of  the 
honey ;  nor  did  any  bee  disturb  the  ants,  though  su- 
perior to  them  in  power ;  the  several  individuals,  on 
each  side,  went  in  and  out  peaceably  ;  they  would 
meet  in  the  way  without  teasing  or  molesting  one  an- 
other, respect  on  one  side  and  complacency  on  the 
other,  were  the  foundation  of  this  peace." — Natural 
History  of  Bees,  p.  352. 

Ants  frequently  intrude  themselves  into  the  cham- 
bers of  a  hive  that  contains  honey  boxes ;  they  do 
so  for  the  sake  of  the  warmth  imparted  by  the  bees  ; 
they  do  no  harm,  as  they  seldom  have  access  to  the 
stores.  They  are,  however,  seriously  in  the  way  when 
the  boxes  are  to  be  removed.  If  any  of  them  chance 
to  get  among  the  bees,  the  latter  are  forced  to  run 
away,  on  account  of  the  pungent  odor  given  off  by 
the  ants. 

TO   DRIVE   ANTS   AWAY. 

Ants  may  be  driven  away  by  sprinkling  a  liberal 


118  ENEMIES. 

quantity  of  dry  ashes  or  quick-lime  in  the  spaces 
around  the  boxes. 

Ants  are  a  serious  annoyance  in  getting  into  honey 
after  it  is  removed  from  the  bees.  I  have  found  no 
other  efficient  way  to  prevent  them  from  doing  so, 
except  to  place  it  on  a  table,  the  legs  of  which  are 
set  in  cans  of  water. 

WASPS   AND    YELLOW-JACKETS. 

Wasps  and  yellow-jackets  have,  by  some,  been 
reckoned  as  enemies,  and  doubtless  are  in  some  places. 

I  have  seen  them  occasionally  carrying  off  honey 
from  weak  swarms,  but  never  have  seen  them  make 
any  formidable  attacks  on  strong  hives. 

SPIDERS. 

There  is  one  species  of  large  black  spider  (quite 
common  in  California)  that  is  a  great  enemy  to  bees. 
They  seek  a  hive  that  is  weak  or  only  partially  full, 
in  which  to  make  their  abode.  They  lay  their  ropes 
so  as  to  entangle  the  bees,  which  they  seem  to  be 
partial  to  as  food. 

There  are  other  species,  which  spread  their  nets  in 
the  vicinity  of  hives,  and  occasionally  within  them ; 
straggling  bees  are  sometimes  caught  in  these  nets, 
and  a  portion  of  th"eir  bodies  eaten. 

When  their  ropes  or  nets  are  noticed,  they  should 
not  only  be  removed,  but  the  spiders  (for  there  are 
generally  two)  searched  for  and  killed. 


fur? 


CHAPTEE    VI 

TAMING  BEES. 


How  Done 1 22 

Means  of  Protection 123 

Remedy  for  Stings 125 

Horses  Liable  to  be  Attacked 125 

How  to  Proceed  in  case  of  Horses  being  Attacked 125 


CHAPTER    VI 

TAMING  BEES. 


MOST  authors  have  expressed  the  opinion  that  the 
honey  bee  is  capable  o£  being  taught  submission, 
thus  intimating  that  it  is  necessary  to  tame  them 
before  they  are  of  use  to  man.  This  opinion  obtains 
so  generally,  that  a  usual  remark  of  persons  visiting 
apiaries  is:  "I  suppose  your  bees  know  you;"  or, 
"  They  know  you  from  strangers." 

I  have  never  been  able  to  discover  any  signs  of 
recognition  from  my  bees,  they  being  just  as  apt  to 
sting  as  those  of  a  hive  that  I  have  never  before 
seen.  If  I  am  less  frequently  attacked  by  them 
than  others,  it  is  because  I  understand  their  habits, 
and  treat  them  accordingly.  That  some  persons  are 
more  liable  to  be  stung  than  others,  is  owing  to  one 
or  more  of  the  three  following  causes. 

FIRST. — Color  and  texture  of  dress ;  dark  clothes 
or  those  of  a  hairy  texture — particularly  a  fur  hat 
— form  a  prominent  mark,  and  hence  the  wearer  is 
liable  to  receive  an  occasional  dart. 

SECOND. — Any  quick  motions  made  in  the  vicinity 
6 


122  TAMING  BEES. 

of  the  hives  attract  their  notice,  and  cause  them  to 
attack  the  person  making  such  motions. 

THIRD. — The  odor  from  some  perfumes  and  from 
the  insensible  perspiration  of  some  persons,  and  the 
breath  of  persons  in  bad  health,  are  all  offensive  to 
bees,  and  tend  to  excite  their  anger  and  their  propen- 
sity to  sting. 

Bees  retain  the  same  unchangeable  habits  whether 
they  are  domiciled  in  the  forest  or  in  the  finest  flower 
garden,  being  even  more  docile  and  less  liable  to 
sting,  when  handled  for  the  first  time,  than  at  any 
subsequent  time. 

When  a  hive  has  been  once  opened  and  their 
combs  disturbed,  on  returning  to  repeat  the  same 
operation  a  few  hours  or  days  afterwards.,  they  re- 
member it  and  resent  the  injury.  This  proves  that 
they  are  naturally  vindictive,  and  but  few,  if  any, 
can  ever  be  taught  submission.  The  latter  can  only 
be  done  by  force  or  bribery,  or  the  two  combined. 

The  season  of  greatest  irritability  is  when  there 
is  least  pasturage ;  for  while  rapidly  accumulating 
stores,  they  are  less  careful  and  more  easily  and 
safely  handled. 

HOW   DONE. 

Smoke  is  the  principal  agent  to  be  used.  Various 
things  are  used  for  producing  it,  such  as  tobacco 
and  rotten  wood  ;  but  the  most  convenient,  as  well  as 
the  least  hurtful  to  the  bees,  is  dry  cotten  or  linen 
rags  rolled  in  the  shape  of  a  large  candle  (the  size  of 


MEANS   OF  PROTECTION.  123 

which  can  be  varied  according  to  the  volume  of  smoke 
desired)  and  tightly  wrapped  with  twine  ;  by  setting 
one  end  of  this  on  fire,  it  continues  to  burn  slowly 
without  flame,  the  smoke  of  which,  if  blown  on  the 
bees,  is  effective  in  subduing  and  driving  them 
wherever  wanted. 

Cold  water  sprinkled  on  them  is  also  an  efficient 
agent  to  effect  the  same  purpose.  And  another  way 
is  to  suddenly  close  up  the  entrance  and  rap  on  the 
hive  for  a  space  of  five  minutes,  on  opening  it  they 
are  generally  found  to  be  subdued,  this  excites  their 
fears  and  causes  them  to  fill  their  sacs  with  honey, 
when  they  will  have  no  disposition  to  seek  revenge. 

Sweetened  water  or  diluted  honey  is  recommended 
to  be  given  by  sprinkling  it  over  the  bees  and  comb, 
and  is  intended  as  a  peace  offering  to  keep  them  quiet 
while  their  works  are  being  overhauled.  This  plan 
succeeds  well  where  there  is  no  danger  of  robber 
bees.  But  it  requires  more  time  than  can  well  be 
afforded,  if  time  is  valuable ;  hence  I  much  prefer 
any  of  the  plans  previously  named. 

MEANS    OF   PROTECTION. 

Protection  is  sometimes  necessary  to  guard  against 
being  stung,  while  tending  the  bees  or  working  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  those  that  have  been  disturbed. 
A  protection  for  the  face  and  neck  should  be  made 
of  material  such  as  is  used  for  ladies'  veils,  of  a  size 
to  go  over  a  hat,  the  brim  keeping  it  expanded,  and 


124  TAMING   BEES. 

of  a  length  to  be  tucked  under  the  coat  or  vest 
collar,  to  prevent  the  bees  from  getting  underneath 
it.  A  pair  of  gloves  for  the  hands  are  sometimes 
necessary.  The  clothing  should  be  sufficiently  thick 
to  prevent  the  sting  of  a  bee  from  penetrating 
through  it. 

Thus  protected,  any  person  can  go  amongst  the 
bees  and  perform  any  operation  that  may  be  required 
without  being  stung.  Most  persons  will,  as  soon  as 
they  become  accustomed  to  working  amongst  bees, 
prefer  to  do  so  without  any  protection. 

A  bee  must  alight  before  it  can  sting:  conse- 
quently, if  the  person  attacked  has  either  hand  at 
liberty,  he  can  kill  or  remove  it  before  being  stung ; 
to  do  so  a  little  patience  and  judgment  is  required, 
for  if  struck  at  before  alighting  they  dodge  the  blow, 
and  then  return  and  sting  before  a  second  one  can 
be  made. 

When  attacked  while  performing  any  operation 
with  them,  use  some  one  of  the  means  heretofore 
recommended  to  subdue  them.  But  if  not  perform- 
ing any  operation,  the  best  plan  is  to  quietly  retire, 
either  amongst  shrubbery  or  within  some  building. 

Whenever  the  anger  of  any  hive  becomes  so 
aroused  as  to  attack  any  person  or  thing  that  may 
chance  to  come  near  them,  they  should  be  immedi- 
ately treated  to  a  very  liberal  smoking,  or  application 
of  cold  water,  enough  to  make  them  desist  from 
wreaking  their  vengeance. 


IN   CASE   HORSES   ARE   ATTACKED.  125 

REMEDY    FOR    STINGS. 

As  the  sting  of  a  bee  has  a  different  effect  on  dif- 
ferent persons,  there  can  be  no  universal  remedy  for 
their  cure.  The  best,  however,  is  to  remove  the 
sting  as  quickly  as  possible,  which  will  prevent  its 
penetrating  deeper,  and  injecting  all  the  poison  it 
may  contain.  If  a  portion  of  the  poison  can  be 
squeezed  or  otherwise  extracted  from  the  wound,  it 
will  help  to  prevent  pain  or  swelling. 

Bathe  the  wound  either  with  warm  or  cold  water, 
then  apply  either  spirits  of  hartshorn,  dissolved 
borax,  soda  or  other  alkaline  substances.  Alcohol, 
spirits  of  turpentine,  or  camphor  will,  in  some  cases, 
afford  relief. 


HORSES   LIABLE   TO   BE   ATTACKED. 

Horses  are  liable  to  be  attacked,  and  instances 
have  occurred  where  they  have  been  stung  to  death. 
Consequently  they  should  never  be  hitched  or  al- 
lowed to  stand  in  the  vicinity,  where  bees  are  kept. 

Some  horses,  if  stung,  will  rear  and  plunge,  and 
either  throw  themselves  or  take  to  flight,  while  others 
become  sullen  and  lay  down,  so  that  no  effort  can 
induce  them  to  move. 


HOW  TO  PROCEED  IN  CASE  HORSES  ARE  ATTACKED. 

If  attacked,  at  once  get  them  in  motion  and  keep 
them  going  until  the  bees  give  up  the  chase.     But 


126  TAMING   BEES. 

if  a  horse  once  gets  down,  or  cannot  be  removed, 
cover  him  with  blankets,  hay,  or  any  thing  that  will 
keep  the  bees  from  alighting  on  him ;  in  addition, 
throw  cold  water,  dry  ashes,  dust,  or  quick-lime  over 
the  horse,  and  amongst  the  flying  bees ;  water  may 
also  be  thrown  amongst  the  bees  in  the  hive  from 
whence  they  come.  Such  attacks  are  only  liable  to 
be  made  by  the  bees  from  hives  already  established, 
and  but  seldom,  if  ever,  by  a  swarm  that  has  but 
recently  issued. 

Such  attacks  generally  result  from  recent  disturb- 
ance, by  which  the  anger  of  the  bees  has  been 
aroused.  A  hive  thus  enraged  should  never  be  left 
where  persons  or  animals  will  be  likely  to  approach 
it,  or  notice  should  at  once  be  given  of  the  danger 
they  are  in,  and  measures  immediately  adopted  to 
subdue  them. 


CHAPTER   VII 

HIVES. 


Natural 129 

Gum 132 

Straw 135 

Box  and  Chamber 136 

Dividing 139 

Palace 139 

African 139 

Unicomb  and  Leaf 140 

Sevan's  Bee-Boxes 145 

Munn's  Hire 147 

Langstroth 149 

California 150 

Improved  Chamber 155 

Storifying 156 


OF  THE  > 


CHAPTEE    VII, 

HIVES. 


NATURAL. 

WHERE  nature  makes  the  hive,  bees  are  known  to 
thrive  in  a  remarkable  degree. 

On  examining  the  hollow  of  a  tree,  such  as  bees 
select  for  their  residence,  we  find  it  almost  invariably 
deep  from  top  to  bottom,  in  proportion  to  its  width, 
varying  in  diameter  from  ten  to  fifteen  inches,  while 
the  height  varies  from  two  to  five,  or  more  feet. 
The  space  at  the  top  commences  in  a  point,  and 
gradually  widens  downwards  till  the  largest  diameter 
is  reached ;  this  is  then  continued  for  some  distance, 
and  not  unfrequently  terminated  in  a  point  like  the 
top.  The  entrance  is  through  a  hole  caused  by  the 
rotting  of  a  limb,  or  by  the  bill  of  the  woodpecker. 

From  three  to  eight  gallons  of  honey  are  usually 
obtained  from  a  single  bee-tree,  indicating  a  capacity 
varying  from  two  thousand  to  four  thousand  cubic 
inches.  There  are  instances  where  as  high  as  fifteen 
gallons  have  been  obtained,  but  they  are  rare ;  double 
6* 


130  HIVES. 

this  amount  has  been  frequently  reported  as  found, 
but  in  the  absence  of  proof  I  will  not  vouch  for  its 
correctness. 

That  so  large  a  quantity  of  honey  as  is  sometimes 
found,  should  ever  be  stored  by  a  single  swarm,  and 
succeeding  generations,  within  the,  same  habitation, 
seems  at  first  sight  to  be  in  direct  opposition  to  the 
known  law  of  the  honey  bee,  viz :  that  but  one  queen 
is  ever  tolerated  in  a  hive,  and  consequently  there 
being  a  limit  to  the  number  of  workers  in  each. 

It  is  however  only  in  a  habitation  shaped  as  we 
find  it  in  a  hollow  tree  that  such  large  accumulations 
of  honey  are  ever  made ;  the  reason  is  plain.  A 
swarm  of  bees  when  clustered  in  their  hive,  whether 
it  is  full  of  comb  or  not,  will  always  assume  a  globu- 
lar form,  or  as  nearly  so  as  the  shape  of  their  habi- 
tation will  allow ;  this  holds  good  as  well  while  in 
their  winter  cluster  as  when  building  combs ;  conse- 
quently if  the  diameter  of  a  cluster  is  equal  to  that 
of  their  habitation,  they  are  then  able  not  only  to 
better  regulate  and  economise  their  native  heat,  but 
to  exclude  and  guard  against  the  intrusion  of  ene- 
mies. 

Commencing  to  build  combs  at  the  top  of  the 
cavity  as  they  invariably  do,  they  work  them  down- 
wards, and  as  fast  as  any  portion  is  sufficiently 
advanced,  it  is  immediately  occupied  either  with 
brood  or  stores.  • 

As  each  generation  of  brood  emerges  from  the 
comb,  a  portion  of  the  vacancies  are  reoccupied  with 


NATURAL.  131 

stores.  Thus,  the  process  of  building  and  filling  is 
continued  through  each  succeeding  season  of  flowers. 

The  bees  preferring  always  to  cluster  amidst  and 
embracing  the  lower  portions  of  their  combs,  they  are 
in  a  position  to  guard  their  accumulated  stores  with- 
out any  bees  clustering  on  the  upper  portion  of  them. 

Thus  an  amount  of  honey  is  frequently  accumu- 
lated that  is  utterly  impossible  to  be  made  in  a  habi- 
tation of  large  diameter,  whether  it  is  deep  from  top 
to  bottom  or  low  and  shallow. 

It  is  true,  that  a  habitation  like  the  hollow  tree, 
laid  on  its  side,  would  in  some  measure  compensate 
for  height ;  but  the  increased  bottom  surface,  always 
difficult  to  clean,  will,  wherever  moths  abound,  even- 
tually preclude  their  use.  Low,  shallow  hives,  which 
compel  the  cluster  of  bees  to  be  flattened,  thwart 
their  instinct,  and  cause  a  waste  of  animal  heat  which 
often  retards  their  progress  and  increases  the  mor- 
tality. 

Another  advantage  possessed  by  the  tree  is  the 
lining,  composed  of  dry,  decayed  wood,  which  is  a 
non-conductor;  this  is  surrounded  by  a  wall  of  green 
wood,  covered  with  bark,  under  which  the  life-giving 
sap  flows ;  such  a  combination  insures  an  evenness  of 
temperature  not  attainable  by  art.  "  No  heat  can 
ever  injure  the  texture  of  the  comb,  neither  are  the 
bees  liable  to  be  caught  in  a  position  to  starve  while 
plenty  of  food  remains  in  the  hive,  as  is  frequently 
the  case  in  the  States  where  cold  winters  prevail, 
and  the  hives  are  made  low  and  flat. 


132  HIVES. 

THE   BEE-GUM 

Is  made  by  cutting  the  trunk  of  a  hollow  tree  in 
lengths,  usually  two  or  three  feet  long,  after  removing 
the  rotten  wood,  either  by  burning  or  the  use  of  a 
gouge  ;  a  piece  o£  board  is  nailed  on  one  end,  holes 
are  bored  through  the  middle,  and  sticks  inserted  to 
sustain  the  combs  while  being  built ;  notches  are  cut 
in  the  lower  edge,  and  -an  inch  hole  bored  midway 
to  the  top  for  egress  and  ingress.  After  a  swarm  is 
hived,  it  is  either  set  on  a  board  or  stand,  and  gen- 
erally suffered  to  remain  without  further  attention  till 
fall.  A  plan  frequently  adopted  to  obtain  honey  is 
to  remove  the  lid,  smoke  the  bees  downward,  and  cut 
out  a  quantity  of  honey ;  if  too  much  is  taken,  the 
bees  die  of  starvation  during  the  winter.  The  most 
common  plan,  however,  is  to  consign  the  whole  swarm 
to  the  sulphur  pit,  and  take  all  their  stores.  The 
latter  method  is  also  mostly  used  to  obtain  the  honey 
from  straw  hives.  The  use  of  the  gum  has  generally 
been  attended  with  good  success,  which  is  attributa- 
ble to  its  shape ;  many  eminent  apiarists  bear  testi- 
mony to  the  superiority  of  deep  hives  over  those 
that  are  low  and  of  large  diameter — Mr.  Langstroth 
amongst  the  number — but  while  he  candidly  admits 
this  superiority,  as  is  shown  by  the  following  quota- 
tion from  his  valuable  work  on  the  honey  bee,  yet  he 
willingly  sacrifices  it  for  what  he  seems  to  think  of 
more  importance,  viz :  a  wider  top  surface  in  which 
to  place  store  honey  boxes.  Whether  this  is  an  abso- 
lute gain  at  any  time,  or  will  hold  good  in  a  majority 


THE   BEE-GUM.  133 

of  cases,  remains  unsettled  in  the  minds  of  most  bee- 
keepers. The  only  plan  will  be  for  each  one  to  de- 
termine for  himself,  and  practice  accordingly. 

"  A  hive  tall  in  proportion  to  its  other  dimensions, 
has  some  obvious  advantages ;  for  as  bees  are  dis- 
posed to  carry  their  stores  as  far  as  possible  from  the 
entrance,  they  will  fill  its  upper  part  with  honey, 
using  the  lower  part  mainly  for  brood,  thus  escaping 
the  danger  of  being  caught  in  cold  weather,  among 
empty  ranges  of  comb,  while  they  still  have  honey 
unconsumed.  If  the  top  of  this  hive,  like  that  of 
an  old  fashioned  churn,  is  made  (on  the  Polish  plan) 
considerably  smaller  than  the  bottom,  it  will  be  bet- 
ter adapted  to  a  cold  climate,  besides  being  more 
secure  against  high  winds.  Such  a  hive  is  deficient 
in  top  surface  for  the  storing  of  honey  in  boxes,  and 
it  would  be  impossible  to  use  frames  in  it  to  any 
advantage ;  but,  to  those  who  prefer  to  keep  bees  on 
the  old  plan,  one  of  this  shape,  made  to  hold  not  less 
than  a  bushel  and  a  half,  is  decidedly  the  best." 

Mr.  Quinby  recommends  to  make  hives,  "  say, 
twelve  inches  square  inside,  by  fourteen  deep.  I 
prefer  this  shape  to  any  other,  yet  it  is  not  all-im- 
portant. I  have  had  some  ten  inches  square  by 
twenty  in  length ;  they  were  awkward  looking,  but 
that  was  all ;  I  could  discover  no  difference  in  their 
prosperity.  .Also,  I  have  had  them  twelve  inches  deep 
by  thirteen  square,  with  the  same  result.  Hence, 
if  we  avoid  extremes,  and  give  the  required  room, 
the  shape  can  make  but  little  difference." 


134  HIVES. 

Although  he  (Quinby)  says  "  the  shape  can  make 
but  little  difference,"  yet  he  directs  a  particular  size 
and  shape  as  preferable  ;  he  also  practices  as  he 
teaches,  which  says  more  than  the  mere  utterance  of 
theory. 

The  attention  of  English  apiarists  has  lately  been 
drawn  to  the  bee  practice  of  those  countries,  (Rus- 
sia, &c.)  by  the  work  of  a  Pole,  which  issued  from- 
the  press  not  a  year  ago. 

Mr.  Dobiogost  describes  the  hive  of  his  country 
as  being  three  and  a  half  to  five  feet  in  height,  about 
eight  inches  in  diameter  at  top,  increasing  down- 
wards gradually  to  twenty  inches  or  more  at  bottom, 
all  inside  measure  ! 

This  is  indeed  a  large  hive.  It  is  a  fact,  however, 
that  such  are  the  dimensions  of  the  hives  commonly 
in  use  in  Poland ;  and  it  is  also  a  fact,  that  large  as 
they  are,  they  yet  contrive  to  swarm  with  as  much 
regularity  as  the  hives  in  use  among  us,  while  the 
parent  stock  remains  vigorous,  notwithstanding,  for 
many  years  together.  Mr.  Dobiogost  assures  us 
that  an  apiary  containing  a  hundred  stocks  of  this 
size,  will  throw  off  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
swarms  every  spring,  each  of  such  formidable  power 
that  it  resembles  a  small  cloud  when  hovering  in  the 
air. 

It  seems  to  us  almost  incredible  that  hives  of  such 
dimensions  should  throw  any  swarms  at  all. 

In  opposition  to  the  general  belief  among  us,  the 
author  seems  to  attribute  this  circumstance  to  the 


OF  THB 

UNIVERSITY 


PLATE  VII. 


FIG.  19. 


FIG.  20. 


STRAW   HIVES.  135 

fact  that,  on  the  first  establishment  of  these  stocks, 
four  times  as  many  bees  are  put  into  them  as  we  are 
in  the  habit  of  hiving  together."* 


STRAW  HIVES 

Have  been  used  from  a  very  remote  period,  and 
with  less  change  of  style  than  any  other  agricultural 
implement.  They  are  still  extensively  used  in  many 
parts  of  Europe ;  but  in  the  United  States  they 
are  fast  passing  away,  being  supplanted  by  those 
made  of  wood.  Plate  vn,  fig.  19,  shows  a  straw  hivef 
full  of  comb,  cut  through  the  center  from  top  to  bot- 
tom, at  right  angles  with  the  comb,  the  edge  only 
being  seen.  They  are  shown  to  be  straight  and  .of 
remarkably  even  thickness.  The  cause  of  this  reg- 
ularity is  at  once  apparent :  commencing  to  construct 
comb  at  the  top  of  the  hive,  where  a  space  only  large 
enough  for  the  foundation  of  two  combs  exists,J 
they  extend  them  downwards,  and  as  the  space 

*T/ie  Cottage  and  Farm  Bee-keeper,  by  a  country  curate. 

fAlso  called  Skep  ;  is  becoming  obsolete  in  the  United  States. 

JAlthough  narrow-topped  hives  have  been  described  as  not 
affording  top  surface  for  store  honey  boxes,  I  have  in  many  in- 
stances cut  a  hole  in  the  top  of  the  conical  straw  hive,  and  after 
adjusting  a  platform,  placed  two  boxes  of  the  usual  size.  The 
bees  in  all  cases  filled  them  as  rapidly  as  those  in  wooden  hives 
with  large  top  surface.  Hence  the  objection  referred  to  is  not  so 
serious  as  would  appear  at  first  sight.  This  hive  has  been  longer 
and  perhaps  more  extensively  used  than  any  other,  and  will  be 
perpetuated  at  least  as  an  emblem  of  industry. 


136  HIVES. 

widens,  the  foundations  of  other  combs  are  laid  at 
each  side,  and  all  are  carried  down  uniformly. 
Thus,  straw  hives  as  well  as  the  cavities  of  trees, 
terminating  in  a  cone,  are  found  to  have  remarkably 
uniform  comb,  there  being  but  a  slight  curvature 
near  the  edges.  Plate  vn,  fig.  20  represents  a  cross 
section  of  the  above  straw  hive.  As  the  combs  ex- 
tend downwards,  the  cells  near  the  edge  of  each  are 
lengthened  and  filled  with  honey.  This  causes  the 
adjoining  comb  to  diverge  from  a  straight  line.  The 
cells  at  the  edge  of  this  comb  are  lengthened  in  like 
manner,  causing  the  third  comb  to  diverge  still  farther 
but  without  lessening  the  breeding  capacity.  Thus 
it  will  be  seen  that  the  bees  invariably  diverge  their 
combs  from  a  straight  line,  by  placing  ttrood  in  one 
part  and  stores  in  another  of  the  same  comb. 

It  has  been  supposed  that  the  reason  why  bees  in 
straw  hives  wintered  better  and  increased  faster  than 
in  those  constructed  of  other  materials,  was  their 
non-conducting  properties.  This  is  doubtless  true  in 
part,  but  quite  as  much  is  due  to  the  regularity  of 
the  combs,  and  to  concentration  of  heat,  whereby 
breeding  and  the  building  of  comb  is  greatly  facili- 
tated. 

BOX  AND   CHAMBER  HIVES 

Are  made  of  boards,  the  capacity  and  shape  ac- 
cording to  the  fancy  of  the  builder. 

The  Box  Hive  is  managed  in  the  same  manner  as 
the  "  bee-gum."  Holes  may  be  made  in  the  top  of 


PLATE  VIII. 


FIGURE  21. 


BOX   AND   CHAMBER  HIVES.  137 

either,  and  surplus  honey  boxes  placed  over  them  ;  a 
cap  or  cover  may  be  placed  over  these,  making  it, 
practically,  a  chamber  hive.* 

The  Chamber  Hive  differs  from  the  box  in  having 
a  chamber  floor  placed  usually  about  two-thirds  of 
the  distance  from  the  bottom  to  the  top,  making  a> 
chamber  above  in  which  to  place  surplus  honey 
boxes.  Access  is  had  to  the  chamber  (for  the  pur- 
pose of  supplying  or  removing  boxes)  by  means  of 
a  shutter  or  door  made  to  cover  one  side  of  it ;  holes 
are  made  through  the  chamber  floor  for  the  bees  to 
pass  into  the  honey  boxes. 

The  principal  advantage  which  the  above  class  of 
hives  possesses  is  cheapness.  There  are  disadvan- 
tages, among  which  are  the  following :  First,  the 
comb  is  not  convenient  of  access,  and  is  beyond  con- 
trol. Second,  the  comb  is  almost  always  built  very 
irregularly. 

This  irregularity  is  occasioned  by  the  broad,  even 
surface  to  which  they  are  compelled  to  attach  their 
combs.  While  a  majority  of  swarms  build  their 
combs  sufficiently  regular  to  insure  a  reasonable  de- 
gree of  thrift,  there  are  others  that  build  them  so 
irregularly  as  to  be  totally  worthless  as  stock  hives. 

To  illustrate  this  matter  more  clearly,  the  reader 
is  referred  to  plate  vni,  fig.  21,  which  represents 
a  case  of  this  kind.  The  hive  was  a  common  box 


*  This  is  the  plan  recommended  by  Mr.  Quinby,  in  "  Mysteries 
of  Bee-keeping  Explained." 


138  HIVES. 

thirteen  by  fourteen  inches  square  and  twelve  inches 
high,  all  inside  measure. 

A  large,  first  swarm  was  hived  within  in  the  month 
of  June,  being  well  provided  with  wax  as  well  as 
abundance  of  pasturage ;  the  bees  forming  a  cluster 
extending  over  the  whole  top  of  the  hive  (but  with- 
out guides  to  direct  the  course  of  their  combs)  com- 
menced at  the  same  time  to  build  combs  in  two  places, 
which  we  will  suppose  Y  and  Z. 

As  the  queen  was  unquestionably  in  that  portion 
of  the  cluster  commencing  to  build  at  Y,  the  bees 
constructed  a  number  of  the  first  combs  of  worker 
cells ;  while  at  Z,  store  combs  only  were  built.  All 
combs  marked  A  represent  worker  cell,  B  drone  cell, 
and  C  and  D  store  combs,  part  of  the  latter  being 
worker  and  part  drone,  but  having  the  cells  length- 
ened and  considerably  curved  upwards.  The  combs 
being  started  in  two  places*  and  at  nearly  right 
angles,  with  less  than  one-half  of  them  suitable  for 
rearing  brood,  they  never  increase  sufficiently  in 
numbers  to  enable  them  to  swarm,  neither  will  they 
be  likely  to  fill  surplus  honey  boxes.  Such  a  hive, 
if  left  to  remain,  will  frequently  live  for  years  with- 
out affording  its  owner  any  profit. 

The  remedy  in  such  case  is  either  to  transfer  the 
bees  and  suitable  combs  to  new  hives,  or  prune  out 
the  objectionable  combs. 

*  Combs  are  frequently  built  in  different  divisions,  and  if  the 
combs  in  each  are  parallel  one  with  the  other  and  mostly  worker 
cells,  there  is  but  little  difference  in  their  prosperity.  In  cold  cli- 
mates such  hives  generally  winter  the  best. 


AFRICAN  BEE-HIVE.  139 

THE   DIVIDING  HIVE 

Is  made  in  two  equal  parts,  similar  to  a  common 
chamber  hive  divided  vertically.  Narrow  slats  are 
fastened  at  intervals  on  the  open  sides  of  each  of 
the  parts,  and  are  temporarily  attached  together  in 
the  same  position  by  means  of  hooks. 

When  both  of  the  sides  are  full  of  bees  and  comb 
they  are  separated,  and  empty,  parts  of  the  same 
size  attached  to  each  of  the  full  ones.  This  plan 
has  succeeded  in  some  instances,  but  much  oftener 
has  resulted  in  failure. 


PALACE. 

Palaces  and  apartments  capable  of  holding  hund- 
reds and  even  thousands  of  pounds  of  combs  and 
honey  have  often  been  tried,  but  owing  to  causes 
previously  shown,  they  have  mostly  resulted  in  fail- 
ure. 


"  In  these  forests  (Loanda)  we  first  encountered 
the  artificial  bee-hives  so  commonly  met  with  all  the 
way  from  this  to  Angola.  They  consist  of  about  five 
feet  of  the  bark  of  a  tree  fifteen  or  eighteen  inches 
in  diameter.  Two  incisions  are  made  right  round 
the  tree  at  points  five  feet  apart,  then  one  longitu- 
dinal slit  from  one  of  these  to  the  other ;  the  work- 


*  Dr.  Livingstone's   Travels  and  Researches  in  South  Africa, 
January,  1854. 


140  HIVES. 

man  next  lifts  up  the  bark  on  each  side  of  this  slit, 
and  detaches  it  from  the  trunk,  taking  care  not  to 
break  it,  until  the  whole  comes  from  the  tree. 

<rThe  elasticity  of  the  bark  makes  it  assume  the 
form  it  had  before ;  the  slit  is  sewed  or  pegged  up 
with  wooden  pins,  and  ends  made  of  coiled  grass 
rope  are  inserted,  one  of  which  has  a  hole  for  the 
ingress  of  the  bees  in  the  center,  and  the  hive  is 
complete.  These  hives  are  placed  in  a  horizontal 
position  on  high  trees  in  different  parts  of  the  forest, 
and  in  this  way  all  the  wax  exported  from  Benguela 
and  Loanda  is  collected." 


UNICOMB   AND   LEAF   HIVES. 

"Narrow  hives  for  experimental  purposes,  with 
large  glazed  doors  on  each  side,  have  been  used  by 
amateur  apiarians  for  many  years.  That  of  Reau- 
mur was  too  wide  :  it  allowed  the  construction  of  two 
combs  parallel  to  each  other.  This  form  is  unfavora- 
ble, as  it  precludes  all  observation  of  the  proceedings 
of  the  bees  in  the  interspace  between  the  combs, 
Bonnet  recommended  a  hive,  the  doors  of  which 
should  be  only  so  far  asunder  as  to  allow  the  building 
of  one  comb  between  them.  This  suggestion  was 
successfully  adopted  by  Huber ;  and  to  prevent  the 
bees  from  building  short  transverse  combs,  instead  of 
a  single  one  parallel  to  the  sides  of  the  hive,  he  laid 
the  foundation  himself,  by  fastening  a  piece  of  empty 
comb  to  the  ceiling  of  the  box. 


UNICOMB  AND   LEAF  HIVES.  141 

"  The  hive  in  which  Huber  conducted  his  first 
experiments,  had  only  an  interspace  of  an  inch  and 
a  half  between  the  glass  doors,  so  that  the  bees  could 
not  cluster  upon  the  surface  of  the  comb,  and  yet 
had  room  to  pass  freely  over  it.  Mr.  John  Hunter 
recommended  the  diameter  of  these  narrow  hives  to 
be  three  inches  and  the  superficies  of  the  sides  of 
sufficient  size  to  afford  stowage  for  a  summer's  werk. 
Mr.  Dunbar,  with  his  mirror  hive,  constructed  some- 
what like  Huber 's,  has  been  able  to  make  some  inter- 
esting observations  on  the  economy  of  the  bee.  The 
distance  of  his  glass  doors  from  each  other  is  an  inch 
and  two-thirds,  the  height  of  the  hive  about  eight- 
een inches,  and  the  width  about  two  feet.  Across 
the  center  of  the  mirror  hive,  he  introduced  a  light 
frame,  which,  though  apparently  dividing  the  hive 
into  four  compartments,  allowed  the  bees  a  free  pas- 
sage ;  the  light  was  excluded  by  a  pair  of  folding 
shutters  on  each  side. 

"  Mr.  Dunbar  hived  a  small  swarm  in  one  of  these 
narrow  boxes  in  June,  1819  ;  the  bees  began  to  build 
immediately,  and  he  witnessed  the  whole  of  their 
proceedings,  every  bee  being  exposed  to  view.  The 
narrowness  of  their  limits  constrained  them  from  the 
very  commencement  to  work  in  divisions,  so  that  four 
separate  portions  of  the  comb  were  begun  and  con- 
tinued, nearly  at  the  same  time. 

"  But  this  arrangement  did  not  sufficiently  employ 
these  industrious  creatures  ;  for,  contrary  to  their 
usual  mode  of  building,  which  is  from  above  down- 


142  HIVES. 

wards,  they  laid  two  other  foundations  of  comb  upon 
the  upper  parts  of  the  cross  sticks. 

u  The  bees  now  wrought  upwards  and  downwards 
at  the  same  time,  till  the  originally  separate  portions 
were  united  and  became  one  comb. 

"  For  want  of  proper  precautions,  the  family  per- 
ished during  the  intense  cold  of  January,  1820. 

<*0n  the  25th  March  following,  Mr.  D.  introduced 
another  family  into  the  same  unicomb  hive  ;  and  as 
early  as  the  27th  he  saw  the  queen  laying  the  eggs 
of  workers.  This  second,  family  found  plenty  of 
honey  and  farina  in  the  hive,  left  by  its  former  ten- 
ants. Other  particulars,  upon  the  same  unquestiona- 
ble authority,  will  be  found  in  the  chapters  to  which 
they  belong. 

"  Huber  carried  the  principle  of  these  experimental 
hives  still  further ;  he  joined  several  of  them  together 
with  hinges,  which  were  so  constructed  as  to  admit  of 
easy  removal,  and  as  the  frames,  or  leaves,  as  Huber 
called  them,  were  not  glazed,  they  afforded  a  free 
communication  with  each  other. 

"  It  has  been  said  that  Huber  borrowed  from  the 
Candiotes  the  first  idea  of  his  leaf  hive.  These 
descendants  of  a  highly  intelligent  people,  without 
being  aware  of  the  principle  of  their  proceeding, 
continued  the  practice  of  their  ingenious  predeces- 
sors in  so  far  as  simply  surmounting  their  hives  with 
loose  bars  can  be  considered  as  a  continuation  of  it ; 
and  are  thereby  enabled  occasionally  to  raise  artificial 
swarms,  and  sometimes  to  practice  partial  depriva- 


UNICOMB  AND   LEAF  HIVES.  143 

tion  in  a  very  easy  and  simple  manner ;  but  there  is 
much  of  casualty  in  their  proceedings,  and  little  of 
science — for,  in  answer  to  inquiries  which  I  have  re- 
peatedly instituted  through  the  medium  of  persons 
residing  in  the  islands  of  the  Archipelago,  I  have 
learned  that  the  attainment  of  either  of  the  advan- 
tages referred  to  is  liable  to  great  uncertainty ;  the 
mere  removal  of  loaded  combs  among  the  Greek 
apiarists  so  far  from  being  at  all  times  a  simple  and 
easy  process,  to  use  the  language  of  one  of  my  in- 
formants, often  involves  '  a  very  delicate  and  difficult 
operation.' 

"  Huber  extended  and  rendered  the  system  more 
complete ;  probably  approximated  it  more  nearly  to 
that  of  its  ancient  Greek  inventors.  These  experi- 
ments, however,  of  Mr.  Golding,  myself,  and  others 
already  detailed,  have  shown  that  this  hive  admitted 
of  still  further  improvements  ;  the  leaves  were  too 
narrow  to  be  applicable  to  all  purposes,  and  the  hive, 
altogether,  has  been  so  much  simplified  by  Mr.  G., 
that  I  shall  confine  myself  to  a  description  of  the 
particular  form  and  dimensions  which  he  has  adopted. 
The  general  width  of  the  leaves  should  be  an  inch 
and  five-eighths,  but  slightly  varying  in  the  same 
proportion.  The  exterior  dimensions  of  this  hive  are 
one  foot,  two  and  a  half  inches  high,  by  one  foot,  one 
inch  deep  ;  the  width  will  depend  on  the  number  of 
leaves — the  number  usually  employed  is  eight.  The 
perpendicular  bars  at  the  front  and  back  converge  at 
the  bottom  towards  each  other,  so  that  at  the  top  the 


OF  THJ 

TTNIVER 


144  HIVES. 

interior  of  the  hive,  from  front  to  back,  measures 
eleven  inches  ;  at  the  bottom  only  ten  inches.  The 
upright  pieces  are,  of  course,  kept  in  their  positions 
by  having  the  top  pieces  tenoned  into  them,  and  are 
further  held  together  by  a  small  cross  bar,  also  ten- 
oned into  them  about  half  an  inch  or  an  inch  from 
their  lower  ends,  so  as  to  allow  a  free  passage  for  the 
bees  beneath.  A  series  of  these  leaves  being  placed 
in  juxtaposition,  secured  at  the  front  by  shifting  butt- 
hinges,  and  at  the  back  by  hooks  and  eyes,  and  hav- 
ing a  glazed  door,  covered  by  a  shutter  at  each  end, 
constitute  what  I  think  will  be  found  to  be  an  im- 
proved modification  of  the  hive  of  Huber. 

"A  still  further  improvement  was  made  in  this 
hive  by  Mr.  Dunbar.  When  closing  the  leaves,  (after 
inspecting  the  interior)  as  those  leaves  were  origi- 
nally constructed,  a  few  straggling  bees  were  every 
now  and  then  crushed  between  their  edges.  To  ob- 
viate this,  Mr.  D.  had  those  edges  ploughed  out 
through  their  whole  extent,  to  within  the  eighth  of 
an  inch  of  their  outsides,  by  which  contrivance  the 
bees  are  very  effectually  protected  from  injury. 

"  By  attaching  a  piece  of  comb  to  the  top  bar  of 
each  division,  in  the  manner  already  described,  the 
bees  will  be  induced  to  construct  their  combs  with 
such  uniform  regularity  as  to  admit  at  any  time  of 
the  opening  of  the  hives  to  inspect  the  interior,  or  to 
remove  an  entire  division  when  loaded  with  honey 
comb,  or  (if  required  for  the  purpose  of  observation 
or  experiment)  to  take  out  an  entire  brood  comb  or 


PLATE  IX. 


FIGURE  22. 


FIGURK  23 


145 


any  portion  thereof,  without  at  all  interfering  with 
the  other  combs  of  the  hive,  or  materially  disturbing 
its  general  economy.  The  leaves  from  between  which 
a  remove  has  been  made,  should  be  either  brought 
immediately,  but  carefully,  together,  or  have  a  spare 
supernumerary  leaf  interposed  between  them." 

Plate  ix,  fig.  22,  represents  one  of  the  frames  of 
the  Huber  hive.  Fig.  23  is  the  Huber  hive  itself, 
composed  of  eight  frames,  and  showing  the  hooks  and 
eyes  which  secure  it  behind,  each  frame  being  se- 
cured in  front  by  movable  hinges.  Each  external 
frame  must  have  a  glazed  door,  covered  by  a  shutter. 
These  are  not  shown  in  the  figtire. 

"  It  will  be  evident  that  the  Huber  hives  here  de- 
lineated are  designed  for  an  out-door  apiary.  For  a 
bee-house  or  shed  their  construction  may  be  simpli- 
fied, particularly  as  respects  the  cappings,  which  are 
merely  intended  as  protections  from  the  weather." 

BEVAN'S  "BEE-BOXES." 

Doctor  Bevan  recommends  bee-boxes  to  be  made 
"  eleven  and  five-eighths  inches  square,  by  nine  inches 
deep,  in  the  dear.  The  sides  of  the  boxes  should  be 
an  inch  thick,  and  have  the  upper  edges  of  the  fronts 
and  backs  rabbeted  out  half  their  thickness  and  half 
an  inch  deep,  to  receive  a  set  of  loose  bars  upon  their 
tops,  (see  plate  x,  fig.  24)  which  should  be  half  an 
inch  thick,  one  and  one-eighth  of  an  inch  wide,  and 
seven  in  number.  If  the  distances  of  the  bars  from 
7 


PLATE    XI. 


FIGURE  26. 


147 


"  Storifying  means  the  piling  of  hives  or  boxes 
upon  each  other,  (as  shown  in  plate  x,  fig.  25,)  and 
preserving  a  free  communication  between  them ;  a 
methojd  which  enables  the  apiarian  to  take  wax  and 
honey  without  destroying  the  lives  of  the  bees. 

"  Attempts  have  been  made  to  accomplish  this 
^object  in  different  ways.  Thorley,  Jr.,  placed  empty 
hives  or  boxes  over  full  ones ;  Wildman  and  Keys 
did  the  reverse  ;  White  and  Madame  Vicat  placed 
them  collaterally.  Aristotle,  Pliny,  and  other  an- 
cient writers,  speak  of  contrivances  for  taking  honey, 
and  inspecting  the  operations  of  the  bees." 


From  a  pamphlet  entitled  "  A  Description  of  the 
Bar  and  Frame  Hive,"  invented  by  W.  Augustus 
Munn,  Esq.,  published  in  London  in  1851,  (a  previ- 
ous edition  having  been  published  in  1844)  I  have 
copied  plate  xi,  fig.  26,  which  represents  the  Munn 
hive,  together  with  a  frame  separate.  The  frame  is 
made  triangular,  with  a  projection  at  either  of  the 

*  I  have  seen  plate  x,  with  directions  for  making  the  "  bee- 
boxes,"  copied  into  various  works,  but  called  "  Bevan's  Cross- 
bar Hive,"  as  though  it  were  a  complete  hive  of  itself,  instead  of 
part  of  a  hive,  as  described  by  Bevan  himself.  He  (Bevan)  has 
thus  (in  my  opinion)  been  misrepresented,  as  advocating  small 
hives,  whereas,  it  is  shown,  as  in  plate  x,  fig.  25,  as  well  as  implied 
throughout  both  of  the  chapters  above  referred  to,  that  two  or 
more  of  these  boxes  are  always  used  in  combination,  as  shown  in 
the  plate,  thus  making  a  hive  even  larger  than  I  advocate. 


148  HIVES. 

upper  corners,  as  shown  at  e  ;  seven  of  these  frames 
are  suspended  in  the  top  of  a  triangular  box,  gains 
being  cut  to  admit  the  projections  of  the  frames  to 
keep  them  properly  spaced.  Each  frame  is  so  con- 
trived that  it  can  be  raised  into  an  observatory  frame, 
without  the  bees  having  liberty  to  annoy  the  ob- 
server. • 

Although  it  might  seem  at  first  sight  that  this 
hive  was  only  intended  for  making  observations  of 
the  habits  of  the  bee,  yet  there  is  no  doubt  of  its 
having  been  used  for  all  the  purposes  required  of 
any  hive.  This  I  think  is  conclusively  shown  by  the 
following  extract,  taken  from  the  pamphlet  above 
named : 

"  The  objects  to  be  attained  in  the  construction 
and  management  of  an  apiary,  are  to  secure  the 
prosperity  and  multiplication  of  colonies  of  bees,  to 
increase  the  amount  of  their  productive  labor,  and 
to  obtain  their  products  with  facility,  and  with  the 
least  possible  detriment  to  the  stock.  It  is  to  the 
interest  of  the  owner,  therefore,  that  he  provide  for 
the  bees  shelter  against  moisture,  and  the  extremes 
of  heat  and  cold ;  especially  sudden  vicissitudes  of 
temperature,  protection  from  their  numerous  enemies, 
every  facility  for  constructing  their  combs  and  for 
rearing  their  brood,  and  that  the  hive  should  be  so 
constructed  as  to  allow  of  every  part  of  the  combs 
being  inspected  at  any  moment,  and  capable  of  re- 
moval when  requisite  ;  and  while  attention  is  paid  to 
economy,  it  should  be  made  of  materials  that  will 
secure  its  durability." 


PLATE  XII. 


FIGURE  27. 


LANGSTROTH   HIVE.  149 

As  special  mention  is  made  in  the  same  work  of 
Huber's  leaf  hive,  and  Golding's  Grecian  hive,  as 
well  as  referring  the  reader  to  Dr.  Bevan's  "  Honey 
Bee,"  for  a  description  of  all  hives  and  boxes,  it  is 
evident  that  the  author  aimed  to  combine  the  good 
qualities  of  each,  as  well  as  to  make  new  improve- 
ments. 

LANGSTROTH    HIVE. 

The  Langstroth  hive,  like  the  JIuber  and  Munn 
hives,  is  constructed  on  the  movable  comb  principle ; 
but  more  properly  combines  the  oblong  bar  frame,  as 
originally  used  by  Munn,  with  Sevan's  bee-box,  and 
other  additional  improvements,  making  it  more  sim- 
ple and  practical  than  either  of  its  predecessors. 

Plate  XII,  fig.  27,  represents  the  Langstroth  hive, 
with  a  dead-air  space  between  the  inner  and  outer 
cases  ;  a  frame  is  removed,  and  shown  separately. 

The  simplest  form,  however,  is  a  single  case  or 
hive,  without  the  dead-air  space,  made  fourteen  and 
one -eighth  inches  wide,  eighteen  and  one-eighth  inches 
long,  and  nine  and  seven-eighths  inches  high — all  in- 
side measure.  Ten  frames,  each  seventeen  and  three- 
eighths  inches  by  eight  and  five-eighths  inches,  with 
a  projection  of  seven-eighths  of  an  inch  at  each  up- 
per corner,  to  rest  in  the  rabbets,  are  inserted  into 
each  case. 

It  is  intended  that  these  frames  are  to  be  made 
"  indiscriminately  applicable  to  every  box,"  or  case. 

A  honey-board,  having  apertures  for  the  bees  to 


150  HIVES. 

pass  through,  is  placed  on  the  top  of  the  case,  and 
boxes  for  the  reception  of  surplus  honey  are  placed  on 
the  top  of  the  board — a  cap  is  then  put  over  these, 
making  the  hive  complete. 

To  remove  a  full  frame,  "  the  apiarist  should  gently 
push  the  third  frame  from  either  end  of  the  hive  a 
little  nearer  to  the  fourth  frame,  and  then  the  second 
as  near  as  he  can  to  the  third,  to  get  ample  room  to 
lift  out  the  end  one,  without  crushing  its  comb  or  in- 
juring any  of  the  bees.  He  should  take  hold  of  its 
two  shoulders  which  rest  upon  the  rabbets,  and  care- 
fully lift  it,  so  as  to  crush  no  bees  by  letting  it  touch 
the  sides  of  the  hive  or  the  next  frame." 


CALIFORNIA  HIVE. 

Plate  xin,  fig.  28,  represents  a  front  view  of  the 
California  hive  as  arranged  on  the  stand  for  the  egress 
and  ingress  of  the  bees. 

H  is  a  slide  elevated  three-eighths  of  an  inch  from 
the  inclined  bottom  board  A,  forming  a  passage  for 
the  bees.  The  slide  is  held  in  its  place  by  the 
wedges  //. 

J.  An  aperture  one  and  a  half  inches  in  diameter, 
used  either  as  a  passage  for  the  bees,  or  to  admit  air. 

8.  Ventilating  block,  made  five  inches  long,  two 
and  one-fourth  inches  wide,  and  one-half  inch  thick  ; 
an  aperture  is  made  in  one  end,  and  a  wire  screen 
tacked  over  it ;  on  the  side  intended  to  be  next  to 
the  hive,  the  wire  should  be  sunk  even  with  the  sur- 


PLATE    XIII. 


FlGUER     28. 


PLATE   XIV. 


FIGURE  29. 


CALIFORNIA  HIVE.  151 

face  of  the  block,  to  allow  it  to  turn  smoothly ;  the 
block  is  attached  to  the  hive  by  a  screw  in  its  cen- 
ter, forming  a  pivot,  on  which  it  turns,  and  in  such  a 
position  that  the  aperture  in  the  block  will  correspond 
with  the  one  in  the  hive ;  it  will  then  admit  air  with- 
out allowing  the  bees  to  pass  ;  reverse  the  ends  and 
the  air  is  excluded,  and  by  turning  it  half  round,  a 
passage  is  opened  for  the  bees. 

K.  Apertures  in  the  sides  or  stiles  X — one  seen 
and  one  unseen ;  they  are  used  for  upward  ventila- 
tion. 

L.  Apertures  the  same  as  above,  but  made  to  ad- 
mit air  into  the  ventilating  chamber. 

All  the  apertures  in  the  hive  and  all  the  ventilat- 
ing blocks  are  made  of  the  same  size. 

Z.  Lid,  attached  by  hinges  x  x  to  main  front  board 
W. 

Plate  xiv,  fig.  29,  rear  view,  showing  the  hive  open. 

D.  A  wire,  to  which  is  attached  a  curtain  (7,  which 
is  used  to  prevent  light  passing  from  the  ventilating 
chamber  through  the  passage,  admitting  air  to  the 
bees. 

F.  Cross  piece,  movable,  for  the  purpose  of  exam- 
ination and  cleaning  the  hive,  without  removing  the 
frames. 

n.  Knob,  projecting  one-half  inch,  so  as  to  touch 
the  door  when  closed. 

Cr.  eAn  aperture  one  and  a  half  inches  in  diame- 
ter, covered  with  screens,  through  which  air  finally 
reaches  the  bees. 


152  HIVES. 

«7.  Sill  let  into  the  sides  of  the  hives ;  gains  are 
cut  into  it,  to  admit  the  tenon  of  the  comb  frames  K; 
gains  are  also  cut  in  the  front  board  TF",  for  the  upper 
corner  of  the  frame  to  rest  in,  as  shown  in  plate 

XXXIX. 

kk.  Glass  frames,  enclosing  the  main  frames  and 
surplus  honey-boxes. 

T.  Door,  attached  by  hinges ;  the  hinges,  both 
of  the  lid  and  door,  should  be  narrow  two-inch  wrought 
butts ;  ?/,  hook  (made  of  hoop  iron)  fastened  to  the 
door,  so  as  to  enter  the  staple  2,  (also  made  of 
hoop  iron)  and  hold  the  lid  down.  A  button  is  at- 
tached to  the  upper  corner  of  the  door,  and  turns 
into  a  groove  in  the  lid.  There  is  also  a  button  at- 
tached to  the  lower  corner  of  the  hive,  so  as  to  turn 
on  the  door ;  these  buttons  serve  to  keep  the  hive 
closed. 

Plate  xv,  fig.  30,  side  section  view. 

B.  Ventilating  chamber,  being  the  space  between 
the  inclined  bottom  board  A,  and  stand. 

E.  Air  passage,  being  a  space  of  half  an  inch 
between  the  door  and  the  inclined  bottom  A,  curtain 
c,  and  cross  piece  F. 

K.  Comb  frame. 

L.  Chamber  floor. 

Plate  xvi,  fig.  31,  represents  one  of  the  stiles. 
(There  are  two,  a  right  and  left.)  The  dimensions 
and  position  of  each  part  are  given. 

U.  Gain  one  and  three-eighths  by  one  and  three- 
eighths,  and  half  an  inch  deep,  for  sill  to  rest  in. 


PLATE    XV. 


FIGURE  30. 


R^%; 

/  £  j^Ssi**) 

v       it  • y 


PLATE  XVI. 


FIGURE  31. 


PLATE  XVII. 
ls'/8 


1 1 1 1 1 


13 '/a 


FIGURE  32. 


^ 

^  rnjrijn_j--L  n_h_r 

1W/8 


5CALE 

FIGURE  33. 


OF  THB 

TJNIVERSITY 


PLATE  XVIII. 


/\ 


\d 


tin. 


FIGURE  34. 


OF  THB 

UNIVERSITY 


PLATE   XIX. 


FIGURE  35. 


CALIFORNIA   HIVE.  153 

V.  Gain  for  receiving  slide  H.  Scale  one-eighth 
of  an  inch. 

Plate  xvii,  fig.  32,  represents  the  front  board  W. 

Fig.  33,  sill  J.  The  dimensions  and  position  of 
each  part  are  given. 

Plate  xvm,  fig.  34,  represents  the  parts  compos- 
ing the  comb  frame  K. 

a  and  b  are  the  vertical  legs,  eleven  and  seven- 
eighths  inches  long,  one  inch  wide  and  three-eighths 
of  an  inch  thick. 

e  is  a  tenon,  one  and  three-sixteenths  inches  long 
by  five-eighths  inch  wide. 

c  is  the  top  piece,  eleven  inches  long  by  eleven- 
sixteenths  of  an  inch  square. 

Plate  xix,  fig.  35,  represents  a  gauge  on  which 
to  nail  the  parts  composing  the  comb  frame  K  to- 
gether. 

L.  The  base,  twenty  inches  long,  ten  inches  wide 
and  one  and  one-half  inches  thick. 

M.  The  upright,  twelve  inches  long,  eleven  and 
three-fourths  inches  high,  and  one  and  one-half  inches 
thick. 

n  is  a  batten  forming  a  stop  for  the  top  piece  c 
of  the  frame. 

o.  A  batten  placed  parallel  with  the  first,  and  for 
the  center  bar  of  frame  to  rest  against. 

P.  Is  a  button  to  hold  the  top  piece  and  center 

bar  in  place  while  the  legs  are  being  nailed  to  them. 

The  leg  a  is  nailed  first,  the  frame  is  then  turned 

and  leg  d  fastened  in  like  manner,  a  sixpenny  nail  is 

7* 


154  HIVES. 

to  be  driven  into  the  upper  corner,  and  allowed  to 
project  three-fourths  of  an  inch,  as  shown  at  f,  fig. 
36,  in  place  of  a  tenon,  as  heretofore  used.  The 
projection  of  the  nail  is  gauged  by  the  button  q. 

A  nail  (s,  fig.  36)  is  allowed  to  project  three- 
eighths  of  an  inch,  at  the  end  of  the  center  bar,  on 
the  same  side  and  in  like  manner  as  the  above,  the 
projection  of  the  nail  is  gauged  by  the  button  r. 

sss  are  boxes  to  hold  the  different  sized  nails. 

Plate  xx,  fig.  36,  shows  the  comb  frame  K  com- 
plete. 

Fig.  37,  shows  the  parts  composing  a  section  of 
the  honey  box,  together  with  the  dimensions  of  each 
part ;  w  the  top  piece,  with  comb  guide  v  attached, 
x  x  the  sides,  and  y  bottom  piece  or  diamond  bar. 

Plate  xxi,  fig.  38,  gauge  for  nailing  the  sections 
of  honey  box  (e)  together,  made  as  follows : 

F.  Base,  one  and  one-half  inch  plank,  twenty 
inches  long  and  nine  inches  wide. 

Gr.  Upright,  six  inches  high,  same  length  and 
thickness  as  the  base. 

h.  Place  for  nailing  comb  guide  v  in  center  of  top 
piece  w.  (See  fig.  37.) 

i.  Place  for  nailing  on  the  tins,  sheet  iron  being 
underlaid  to  clinch  the  nails. 

jj.  Gains  for  holding  the  sides  (xx)  while  nailing 
the  top  piece  to  them. 

k.  A  jaw  fastened  by  hinge  I. 

m.  Eccentric  lever  fastened  by  a  pivot,  and  used 
to  move  the  jaw  to  or  from  the  section  while  nailing 
in  the  diamond  bar  y. 


PLATE  XX. 


FIGURE  36. 


PLATE  XXI. 


FIGURE  38. 


PLATE  XXII. 


FIGURE  39. 


FIG.  40. 


IMPROVED    CHAMBER   HIVE.  155 

Plate  xxn,  fig.  39,  represents  a  section  honey  box 
e,  composed  of  square  rings  or  sections  (one  of  which 
is  shown  separately). 

The  sections  are  held  together  by  coupling  straps 
(/)  inserted  into  grooves  cut  in  the  sides. 

1 1  are  tins  nailed  on  the  sections  to  retain  the 
coupling  strap  in  its  place. 

Fig.  40,  honey-board  or  chamber  floor  L,  (see  plate 
xiv)  made  of  five-eighths  inch  lumber,  cut  ten  in- 
ches long,  thirteen  inches  wide  ;  battens  one  and  one- 
half  inches  wide  are  nailed  on  the  ends,  to  prevent 
warping,  making  it  thirteen  inches  square. 

There  are  three  apertures  cut  in  its  edges,  through 
which  the  bees  ascend  to  the  honey  boxes.  It  is 
placed  ^  in  the  hive  so  that  one  of  the  apertures  is 
next  to  the  front  board,  (TF")  and  one  at  "each  side. 
The  pieces  cut  out  to  form  the  apertures  should  be 
kept  to  close  them  when  not  in  use. 

IMPROVED   CHAMBER   HIVE. 

Plate  xxni,  fig,,  41,  represents  a  front  view  of 
the  Improved  Chamber  hive ;  b  c  apertures  for  in- 
gress and  egress. 

Plate  xxiv,  fig.  42,  side  view  ;  e  ventilating  aper- 
tures, and  may  also  be  used  for  egress  and  ingress. 
The  dotted  line  /  shows  the  position  of  the  chamber 
floor. 

Plate  xxv,  fig.  43,  rear  view ;  h  the  lid  partially 
elevated,  and  i  shutter  partly  turned  down,  showing 


156  HIVES. 

the  section  honey  boxes  e  e.  Both  the  lid  and  shutter 
are  attached  by  hinges,  and  when  closed  are  held  in 
place  by  fastenings  j. 

Plate  xxvi,  fig.  44,  chamber  floor  thirteen  and 
one-eighth  inches  by  thirteen  and  one-eighth  inches. 
llll  are  holes  for  the  passage  of  the  bees ;  m  are 
comb  guides,  the  under  side  of  the  floor  being  up- 
wards. 

Fig.  45,  honey  box,  (shown  bottom  upwards) 
made  of  three-eighths  inch  lumber,  twelve  and  seven- 
eighths  inches  long  by  six  and  one-fourth  inches 
square ;  either  the  sides  or  ends  may  be  made  of 
glass,  as  suits  the  convenience  of  the  bee-keeper. 

STORIFYING  HIVE. 

Plate  xxvn,  fig.  46,  Storifying  hive.  The  frames 
and  their  adjustments  are  the  same  as  the  California 
hive.  It  is  made  open  at  the  bottom,  the  same  as 
an  ordinary  chamber  or  box  hive,  and  without  cham- 
ber for  surplus  honey  boxes. 

In  this  shape  it  is  designed  to  be  used  as  a  hive 
on  which  to  set  any  open  bottom  hive  which  is  full 
and  in  need  of  additional  room.  When  this  is  done 
at  a  time  when  pasturage  is  abundant,  the  bees  pro- 
ceed to  fill  it  with  combs.  As  soon  as  full,  the  top 
one  may  be  removed  for  its  honey,  which  may  be 
strained  from  the  combs,  and  the  refuse  given  to  the 
bees. 

Two  or  more  of  these  hives  may  be  used,  as  shown 


PLATE    XXIII. 


FIGURE  41. 


\  BRA 

OF  THK 

UNIVERSITY 


THK  K 

ERSITY  J 

lfVA     ^;*S 


PLATE    XXIV. 


FIGURE  42. 


PLATE  XXVI. 


FIGURE  44 


FIGURE  45. 


STORIFYING   HIVE.  157 

in  plate  x,  fig.  25  ;  or  honey  boxes  with  caps  may  be 
placed  on  a  single  one,  for  the  purpose  of  procuring 
pure  surplus  honey. 

As  a  cheap  and  universal  hive  for  all  purposes,  this 
one  possesses  more  advantages  than  any  other  of 
equal  cost. 

Hives  should  be  made  out  of  clear  seasoned  lum- 
ber, and  the  heart  side  outwards,  which,  in  a  great 
measure,  prevents  both  capping  and  splitting  of  the 
different  parts.  The  same  remarks  hold  good  in 
siding  buildings,  nailing  on  fence  boards,  etc.,  etcf 

It  has  been  my  aim  in  this  chapter  to  trace  the 
bee-hive  through  all  the  real  improvements  that  have 
been  made  from  time  to  time,  thus  affording  each 
bee-keeper  the  means  of  selecting  a  hive  that  suits 
his  fancy.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind,  however,  that 
uniformity  in  hives  is  a  desideratum  in  bee-keeping. 
There  are  hundreds  of  hives  that  have,  from  time 
to  time,  been  brought  before  the  public,  claiming  to 
be  new  inventions  and  the  ne  plus  ultra  of  improve- 
ments ;  they  are,  however,  almost  without  an  excep- 
tion, mere  variations  from  those  I  have  described,  or 
fanciful  contrivances,  that  serve  to  confuse  the  bee- 
keeper. 

A  knowledge  of  the  habits  and  wants  of  the  bee, 
alone,  can  enable  the  apiarist  to  discriminate  between 
the  good  and  the  bad,  and  will  result  in  a  more  sys- 
tematic and  successful  management  of  the  apiary 
than  has  heretofore  been  attained. 


£15*2 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

CHOICE  OF  STOCK. 


The  Kind  of  Hive 161 

Size  of  Hive 161 

Condition  of  Comb 162 

Honey  and  Pollen 162 

Prolific  Queen '" 162 

Brood 163 

The  Number  of  Bees 163 

Beware  of  Disease  164 

Difference  in  Swarms .  .164 


CHAPTER    VIII 

CHOICE  OF  STOCK. 


IN  order  to  establish  an  apiary  successfully,  much 
caution  is  necessary  in  the  choice  of  stock.  There 
is  as  much  difference  in  the  relative  value  of  hives  of 
bees  as  there  is  in  that  of  animals  from  which  to 
stock  a  farm.  The  following  suggestions  will  be  of 
service  to  new  beginners  in  making  their  selections. 

THE  KIND   OP  HIVE. 

The  first  question  to  determine  is  the  kind  of  hive 
to  adopt ;  then,  if  possible,  buy  bees  already  in  the 
favorite  hive.  By  so  doing,  the  expense  of  an  extra 
hive,  as  well  as  a  delicate  operation  to  a  beginner,  in 
transferring  them,  is  avoided.  See  that  the  hives 
are  well  made,  as  a  small  defect  frequently  causes 
the  loss  of  a  good  swarm  of  bees. 

SIZE  OF  HIVE. 

The  main  apartment,  for  breeding  and  winter  stores, 
should  contain  two  thousand,  two  hundred  cubic  inches, 
with  a  chamber  for  the  reception  of  surplus  honey, 


CHAPTER    VIII 

CHOICE  OF  STOCK. 


IN  order  to  establish  an  apiary  successfully,  much 
caution  is  necessary  in  the  choice  of  stock.  There 
is  as  much  difference  in  the  relative  value  of  hives  of 
bees  as  there  is  in  that  of  animals  from  which  to 
stock  a  farm.  The  following  suggestions  will  be  of 
service  to  new  beginners  in  making  their  selections. 

THE   KIND    OF  HIVE. 

The  first  question  to  determine  is  the  kind  of  hive 
to  adopt ;  then,  if  possible,  buy  bees  already  in  the 
favwite  hive.  By  so  doing,  the  expense  of  an  extra 
hive,  as  well  as  a  delicate  operation  to  a  beginner,  in 
transferring  them,  is  avoided.  See  that  the  hives 
are  well  made,  as  a  small  defect  frequently  causes 
the  loss  of  a  good  swarm  of  bees. 

SIZE  OF  HIVE. 

The  main  apartment,  for  breeding  and  winter  stores, 
should  contain  two  thousand,  two  hundred  cubic  inches, 
with  a  chamber  for  the  reception  of  surplus  honey, 


162  CHOICE   OF   STOCK. 

to  contain  one  thousand,  one  hundred  cubic  inches, 
in  addition.  This  size  is  the  most  profitable,  as  it  is 
found  to  develop  the  capacities  of  the  swarm  in  a 
greater  degree ;  hence,  more  honey  is  obtained,  and 
less  risk  is  incurred  from  starvation  ;  this  will  hold 
good  both  in  the  Pacific  and  Atlantic  States,  with 
but  slight  exceptions. 

CONDITION   OF   COMB. 

The  main  apartment  should  be  full  of  worker  comb, 
except  one,  which  should  be  drone  cells.  The  combs 
should  be  straight  and  of  even  thickness.  If  of  a 
yellow  color,  they  are  new,  and  hence,  to  be  prefer- 
red. The  combs  should  be  carefully  examined  as  to 
their  condition.  (See  Chapter  on  Combs.) 

HONEY   AND   POLLEN. 

If  in  the  fall  or  winter,  most  of  the  comb  should 
be  stored  full  of  honey  and  pollen  ;  the  former  should 
be  clear  and  of  a  yellow  color,  and  nearly  all  sealed 
over. 

PROLIFIC    QUEEN. 

A  prolific  queen  lays  her  eggs  in  regular  order, 
commencing  at  a  point  and  distributing  them  in  cir- 
cles, each  surrounding  the  first,  and  on  both  sides 
exactly  alike.  An  old  qiieen  of  a  previous  year  is 
usually  more  prolific  previous  to  July,  than  a  young 


BROOD.  163 

one  of  the  current  year ;  but  a  hive  with  the  latter 
is  found  to  have  more  brood,  after  this  time,  and  con- 
tinues to  breed  later  in  the  season  than  the  former. 

The  sealed  worker  brood  should  present  a  regular, 
smooth  surface.  An  irregular  brood  denotes  an  un- 
prolific  queen ;  a  portion  of  raised  oval  cells  is  also 
objectionable,  all  the  cells  being  raised.  Plate  II 
shows  a  drone-laying  queen. 

If  a  fertile  queen  is  present,  eggs  or  larvae  will  be 
found  in  the  comb  at  all  times  from  February  till 
October.  There  is  no  certain  test,  after  they  cease 
breeding  in  the  fall,  till  they  again  commence  in  the 
spring. 

BROOD. 

Breeding  commences  in  the  best  hives  usually  in 
the  month  of  January,*  and  constantly  increases  in 
amount  till  the  time  of  swarming,  when  a  large  quan- 
tity of  brood  should  exist. 

The  first  indication  that  breeding  has  commenced, 
is  the  appearance  of  scales  of  new  wax  and  eggs 
found  on  the  bottom  board  ;  mutilated  remains  of 
young,  found  there,  or  cast  out  of  the  hive  at  a  later 
period,  show  the  age  to  which  the  brood  has  arrived. 


THE   NUMBER   OF   BEES. 

The  combs  should  all  be  covered,  and  the  spaces 

*  This  is  the  case  both  in  Pennsylvania  and  California,  and 
probably  throughout  the  North  Temperate  Zone. 


OF  THB 

tTNIVERSITY 


164  CHOICE   OP   STOCK. 

between  them  full  of  bees,  which  should  be  in  CLOSE 
MASSES,  and  not  spread  thinly  over  them  ;  the  num- 
bers can  best  be  determined  by  turning  the  hive 
up  and  looking  at  the  lower  ends  of  the  combs,  or 
removing  the  front  slide.  If  worms  exist,  their  pres- 
ence will  be  detected  at  the  same  time. 

An  examination  at  the  top  of  a  hive  is  NOT  SUFFI- 
CIENT to  determine  either  of  these  points,  unless  all 
the  combs  are  taken  out,  which  can  only  be  done 
when  movable  frames  are  used. 

Late  in  the  fall  and  during  the  winter,  the  bees 
draw  together  in  a  cluster  at  the  lower  ends  of  the 
combs,  leaving  the  upper  portion  of  them  bare  ;  hence, 
the  above  examination  is  necessary  to  learn  their  true 
state. 

BEWARE   OF  DISEASE. 

It  is  not  safe  to  purchase  bees  bred  from  stocks  in 
which  foul  brood  has  ever  existed,  as  it  is  hereditary, 
and  reappears  at  intervals  longer  or  shorter,  accord- 
ing to  the  presence  of  exciting  causes. 

DIFFERENCE  IN   SWARMS. 

In  buying  swarms,  at  the  time  of  hiving,  be  par- 
ticular to  specify  whether  it  shall  be  the  first  swarm 
of  the  season  or  a  subsequent  one,  from  the  same 
hive. 

A  first  swarm  usually  has  twice  as  many  bees  as 
the  second,  and  having  a  fertile  queen  from  the  first, 


DIFFERENCE   IN   SWARMS.  165 

the  combs  are  furnished  with  eggs  as  fast  as  built. 
The  first  swarm  is  worth  three  after  swarms,  they 
being  small  in  comparison,  and  having  queens  not  yet 
fertile,  no  eggs  are  laid  for  a  period  of  at  least  eight 
days  after  being  hived ;  thus  losing  considerable  time 
before  their  numbers  commence  to  increase.  The 
parent  hive,  having  a  queen  of  nearly  the  same  age 
as  that  of  a  second  or  last  swarm  departing  from  it, 
will  also  require  a  like  period  to  become  fertile. 

The  period  that  intervenes  between  the  first  and 
second  swarms  departing,  usually  affords  the  best 
pasturage  of  the  season ;  hence,  the  former  are  ena- 
bled to  accumulate  a  considerable  amount  of  stores 
before  the  latter  have  commenced. 

The  assertion  that  "  a  second  swarm  is  just  as 
good  as  the  first,"  is  frequently  made,  but  it  is  only 
true  when  both  are  put  into  hives  seven  by  ten  ;  the 
latter  is  then  sure  to  fill  its  hive,  and  the  former  (if 
let  alone)  can  do  no  more. 


CHAPTEE   IX. 

•  -. 

PASTURAGE. 


Manzanita 1 70 

Willows 1 70 

Sycamore 170 

Turnip 171 

Rape 171 

Cabbage  171 

Alfilarila 172 

Fruit  Trees 172 

Oak 172 

Raspberry 172 

Blackberry 172 

Wild  Flowers 172 

Locust  Tree 173 

Wild  Clover 173 

White  Clover 173 

Buckwheat 173 

Mignonette 173 

Mustard 1 74 

Buckeye   174 

Poplar 1 74 

Linden 175 

Sumach 175 

Cephalanthus 175 

^Escalonia..  177 


CHAPTER    IX. 

PASTURAGE. 


THE  existence  of  all  animated  nature  depends  on 
the  earth's  yielding  her  fruits  in  their  appointed  sea- 
sons. The  increase  and  decrease  of  every  race  and 
class  of  the  animal  and  insect  kingdom  are  governed 
by  the  same.  Hence  we  find  the  bee  to  increase  most 
and  flourish  best,  where  the  earth  yields  the  greatest 
profusion  of  flowers  through  the  greatest  number  of 
months  in  the  year. 

New  countries,  where  the  natural  luxuriance  of 
plants  is  not  checked  by  the  grazing  of  domestic 
animals,  are  particularly  favorable  to  bee  culture. 
But  as  domestic  animals  increase  and  consume  the 
herbage,  bee  pasture  must  decrease.  Large  tracts 
of  land  cultivated  in  grain  also  lessen  the  supply. 
Notwithstanding  these  drawbacks,  each  locality  that 
will  supply  food  for  man  will  also  support  a  certain 
number  of  bees  with  profit  to  their  owners.  In  por- 
tions of  the  country  the  season  of  flowers  is  short, 
yet  very  rich  in  honey,  while  the  balance  of  the  year 
furnishes  very  little.  In  such  places,  bees  will  store 
largely  from  the  flowers,  but  need  large  quantities  to 
8 


170  PASTURAGE. 

sustain  them  through  the  long  seasons  of  scarcity ; 
hence,  in  such  localities,  bees  can  only  be  kept  profit- 
ably by  providing  artificial  pasture  when  the  natural 
fails.  This  may  be  done  by  planting  such  crops  as 
produce  honey-bearing  flowers.  To  do  this  to  advan- 
tage it  is  important  to  know  the  resources  afforded 
by  nature  during  each  month,  and  the  time  it  requires 
for  each  plant  or  tree  to  mature  its  blossoms.  The 
following  schedule  of  the  different  trees,  shrubs  and 
plants  that  afford  pasturage,  arranged  in  the  order  of 
their  flowering,  affords  valuable  information  to  begin- 
ners. 

MANZ ANITA,     {Little  Apple) 

Is  a  bush  abounding  principally  in  the  mountain 
districts,  and  flowering  in  January  and  February,  and 
is  rich  in  both  honey  and  pollen. 


WILLOWS. 

The  numerous  family  of  willows  affords  a  succes- 
sion of  pasturage  of  great  value,  commencing  about 
the  first  of  February,  and  continuing  nearly  four 
months  ;  some  varieties  afford  pollen  in  great  abund- 
ance, while  others  are  rich  in  honey. 


SYCAMORE. 

This  well  known  and  valuable  tree  is  found  along 
the  banks  of  rivers  and  water  courses,  yielding  a 


CABBAGE. 


vast  profusion  of  unpretending  flowers,  rich  in  honey 
during  the  latter  part  of  March  and  the  early  part 
of  April,  and  affording  great  attraction  to  bees. 


TURNIP. 

Turnip  blossoms  are  eagerly  sought  after  by  bees, 
and  afford  so  rich  pasturage  during  March  and  April 
as  to  make  it  a  profitable  crop,  if  but  for  this  purpose 
alone. 

RAPE. 

The  summer  rape  resembles  the  turnip,  and  blooms 
a  little  later  in  the  season,  and  affords  quite  a  rich 
pasturage.  By  sowing  it  at  different  times,  from  the 
first  of  January  to  the  first  of  April,  a  succession 
of  pasturage  will  be  afforded. 

Winter  Rape,  which  is  also  valuable  for  bee  pas- 
ture, requires  to  be  sown  during  the  spring  or  sum- 
mer, so  as  to  make  a  growth  and  be  prepared  to 
bloom  early  in  the  following  spring.  This  variety  is 
cultivated  to  a  considerable  extent  in  some  countries, 
(particularly  in  Germany)  both  for  bee  pasture,  and 
for  seed. 

The  latter  is  used  for  making  oil,  and  for  bird  feed. 
Several  tons  are  annually  imported  into  California 
for  the  latter  purpose. 

CABBAGE. 

Cabbage  blossoms  afford  a  considerable  amount  of 
honey,  of  a  fine  quality  and  flavor. 


172  PASTURAGE. 


ALFILARELA. 

This  plant  yields  large  quantities  of  pollen  for 
about  three  months,  commencing  in  March  and  end- 
ing in  June. 

FRUIT   TREES. 

Apricot,  nectarine,  peach,  and  cherry  trees  bloom 
in  March,  and  if  the  weather  is  favorable,  consider- 
able quantities  of  honey  are  stored  from  them. 

Pear  and  apple  blossoms  are  very  valuable  as  pas- 
ture ;  they  appear  in  April. 

OAK. 

Oak  affords  abundance  of  pollen  during  the  month 
of  April. 

RASPBERRY. 

The  raspberry  flowers  are  special  favorites  with 
the  bee,  and  yield  a  very  superior  honey. 


BLACKBERRY 

Commences  to  bloom  about  the  twentieth  of  March, 
and  continues  through  April,  affording  honey  con- 
stantly. 

WILD   FLOWERS 

Of  various  kinds  abound  on  the  plains  during  the 
months  of  March,  April  and  May.  Most  of  them 
are  rich  either  in  pollen  or  honey. 


MIGNONETTE.  173 

LOCUST  TREES 

Yield  a  profusion  of  white  flowers,  about  the  last 
of  April,  affording  a  very  fine  quality  of  honey. 

WILD    CLOVER. 

Of  the  varieties  of  wild  clover  in  California,  some 
afford  pollen ;  but  I  am  not  aware  that  any  of  them 
are  rich  in  honey. 

WHITE   CLOVER. 

This  is  the  great  dependence  for  honey  in  the  At- 
lantic States.  It  will  flourish  in  moist  lands  in  Cali- 
fornia. 

BUCKWHEAT 

Is  a  great  source  of  both  honey  and  pollen.  It 
may  be  sown  at  any  time  after  the  frosts  are  past. 
The  blossoms  are  so  that  the  bees  commence  gather- 
ing from  them  in  about  thirty  days  after  ^it  is  sown, 
and  it  continues  in  bloom  for  four  or  five  weeks. 
Buckwheat  can  be  made  to  fill  any  vacancies  that 
occur  during  the  summer,  provided  it  is  sown  on  lands 
sufficiently  moist  to  insure  its  growth.  The  honey 
gathered  from  it  is  of  a  reddish  color  and  fine  flavor, 
and  is  preferred  by  many  persons  to  that  gathered 
from  white  clover. 

MIGNONETTE 

Is  a  great  favorite  with  the  bees.     It  is  rich  in 


174  PASTURAGE. 

both  honey  and  pollen.  When  sown  early,  it  com- 
mences to  bloom  in  May,  and  continues  until  hard 
freezing  kills  it.  Being  a  trailing,  annual  plant,  it 
may  be  sown  in  orchards  to  good  advantage.  It  is 
one  of  the  best  plants  to  cultivate  for  bees. 


MUSTARD. 

Mustard  affords  a  larger  amount  of  valuable  pas- 
turage to  the  acre  than  almost  any  other  plant.  It 
blooms  throughout  the  month  of  May,  and  part  of 
June.  During  this  time,  bees  increase  in  numbers, 
and  store  from  it  large  quantities  of  honey  of  a  clear 
yellowish  color,  but  partaking  slightly  of  the  taste  of 
the  plant. 

BUCKEYE. 

The  buckeye  of  California  is  usually  a  large  shrub, 
but  occasionally  attains  the  size  of  a  small  tree.  It 
abounds  in  most  of  the  mountain  districts,  and  is  also 
found  along*  the  borders  of  streams,  and  occasionally 
on  the  plains.  It  commences  to  bloom  in  May  and 
continues  for  nearly  three  months.  It  yields  a  large 
supply  of  honey  of  a  superior  quality. 


POPLAR  OR  WHITEWOOD.     (Liriodendron.) 
This  noble  tree  is  not  found  to  thrive  in  this  vicin- 
ity, (Sacramento)  but  doubtless  would  flourish  near 
the  sea-coast  and  in  the  mountains,  where  a  lower 


CEPHALANTHUS   OCCIDENTALS.  175 

range  of  temperature  prevails.  It  thrives  best  on 
rich,  moist  lands.  In  some  of  the  Atlantic  States  it 
^s  one  of  the  principal  sources  of  superior  honey.  It 
flowers  in  the  month  of  June. 


LINDEN,  OR  BASSWOOD,     (  Tilia  Americana) 

Is  found  to  grow  well  on  the  moist  lands  of  Califor- 
nia, and  affords  a  rich  crop  of  honey  at  a  time  when 
there  is  a  scarcity  of  other  pasturage.  It  is  a  great 
acquisition.  The  season  of  bloom  will  be  in  June. 
(In  the  Northern  States  it  blooms  in  July.) 


SUMACH,     (Rhus  Cf-labra) 

Will  flourish  on  the  moist  lands  bordering  our 
streams.  It  blooms  a  little  later  than  the  Linden, 
and  affords  a  large  quantity  of  honey. 


CEPHALANTHUS  OCCIDENTALS. 

As  a  source  of  superior  quality  and  quantity  of 
honey,  the  Button-bush,  Cephalanthus  Occidental, 
stands  unrivaled. 

It  is  found  in  various  parts  of  the  United  States, 
and  particularly  in  California;  abounding  on  marshy 
lands,  and  along  the  margins  of  rivers,  and  sloughs, 
and  lakes.  It  attains  a  height  of  from  ten  to  fifteen 
feet,  and  a  diameter  varying  from  one  to  three  or 
four  inches,  there  being  a  number  of  crooked,  irregu- 


176  PASTURAGE. 

lar  stalks  growing  out  of  the  same  root.  It  propa- 
gates either  by  seed,  layers-  or  cuttings,  and  is  a 
vigorous  grower  and  perfectly  hardy.  The  wood  is* 
short  jointed,  having  three  leaves  growing  out  of  each, 
forming  a  triangle.  The  leaves  are  about  four  inches 
long,  by  one  and  one-half  wide,  and  tapering  at  both 
ends.  The  color  is  a  lively  green,  of  waxen  appear- 
ance. The  flowers  are  formed  at  the  termination  of 
the  current  year's  growth,  globe  shaped  and  about 
one  inch  in  diameter ;  being  composed  of  numerous 
flowerets,  thrown  out  of  the  seed-vessel,  of  the  same 
shape  and  about  one-third  the  size  of  the  expanded 
flower.  These  are  placed  in  threes,  opposite  each 
other,  the  same  as  the  leaves,  there  being  generally 
either  two  or  three  sets,  terminated  by  a  single  one, 
making  either  four,  seven,  or  ten  on  each  terminal 
branch,  according  as  it  is  more  or  less  thrifty.  They 
are  of  a  creamy  white  color  and  emit  a  pleasant  fra- 
grance. Where  a  portion  of  this  shrub  is  submerged 
till  late  in  the  spring,  it  retards  the  season  of  bloom  ; 
the  first  flowers  appearing  about  the  first  of  July  and 
continuing  in  succession  for  full  two  months,  affording 
an  abundant  supply  of  honey  during  the  season  it  is 
in  bloom.  Strong  colonies  will  store  from  one  to 
three  pounds  of  surplus  honey  per  day,  besides  the 
amount  deposited  in  the  main  apartment,  to  be  con- 
sumed by  the  bees. 

There  are  places  where  large  quantities  of  this 
bush  grow,  that  should  not  only  be  preserved,  but 
additional  grounds  planted  ;  it  will  be  found  a  pay- 
ing investment,  perhaps  equal  to  a  sugar  plantation. 


.&SCALONIA.  177 

^SCALONIA. 

The  ^Escalonia  is  an  evergreen  shrub,  much  used 
for  ornamental  hedges.  It  grows  along  the  borders 
of  streams.  In  California  it  blooms  late  in  October, 
and  continues  through  most  of  December,  affording 
considerable  pollen  and  probably  some  honey,  and 
affords  the  last  pasturage  of  the  year. 

The  above  list  comprises  many  valuable  flowers,  as 
bee  pasturage ;  but  among  the  numerous  flora  of 
California,  there  will  doubtless  be  others  found  of 
equal  value. 

8* 


CHAPTER   X. 

THE  APIARY. 


Location  of  the  Apiary 181 

Choice  of  Ground 182 

Bee  Shades 182 

Stands  for  Hives 184 

Miscellaneous 185 


CHAPTER   X. 

THE  APIARY. 


LOCATION   OF    THE  APIARY. 

THE  best  localities  for  bee-keeping  in  the  drought 
of  summer  are  along  rivers,  sloughs,  and  lakes.  In 
the  spring,  the  plains — the  home  of  Flora — afford 
richer  pasturage ;  hence,  locations  affording  access 
to  both  are  superior  to  all  others.* 

In  our  California  mountain  districts  there  is  a 
long  succession  of  rich  pasturage  from  the  flowering 
shrubs  and  trees,  which  seem  to  defy  all  drought. 
The  bees  thus  far  introduced  into  those  regions,  have 
done  remarkably  well. 

I  would  here  suggest  that  all  persons  interested  in 
bee  culture  make  careful  observations,  and  note  the 

*  "  To  those  who  reside  in  towns  and  may  consider  it  indis- 
pensable to  the  success  of  an  apiary,  that  it  should  be  closely 
surrounded  by  good  pasturage,  and  are  thereby  deterred  from 
benefiting  and  amusing  themselves  by  keeping  bees,  it  may  be 
satisfactory  to  learn  that  the  apiary  of  the  celebrated  Bonner  was 
situated  in  a  garret,  in  the  center  of  Glasgow,  where  it  flourished 
for  several  years,  and  furnished  him  with  the  means  of  making 
many  interesting  and  valuable  observations,  which  he  gave  to  the 
world  about  fifty  yeai-s  ago  "(1795). — Bevan. 


182  THE   APIARY. 

kinds  and  the  time  of  flowering  of  such  plants,  shrubs 
and  trees  as  afford  bee  pasturage ;  such  knowledge 
will  be  valuable  hereafter. 


CHOICE    OF   GROUND. 

If  possible,  choose  a  situation  sufficiently  elevated 
to  avoid  undue  moisture,*  and  at  the  same  time  pro- 
tected by  a  grove  or  other  natural  object  from  the 
strong  winds.  In  the  absence  of  natural  protection, 
it  is  well  to  erect  a  break-wind.  A  close  board  fence, 
five  feet  high,  is  the  most  effective.  This  should  in- 
close a  space  sufficiently  large  to  allow  the  sun  to 
shine  on  the  hives  when  wanted — especially  in  front 
of  them,  to  warm  and  dry  the  ground.  This  will 
enable  many  of  the  exhausted  bees  to  revive  and  re- 
gain their  hive.  It  is  better  to  have  bees  stand  ex- 
posed to  winds  and  storms  in  a  dry  location,  than  in 
a  damp,  shaded  place  well  protected  from  winds. 

BEE   SHADES. 

One  of  the  best  and  cheapest  shades  is  made  by 
taking  eight-feet  posts,  of  large  size  and  durable  wood, 


*I  have  noticed  the  location  of  more  than  one  hundred  bee 
trees,  and  have  almost  invariably  found  them  to  occupy  elevated 
positions,  and  to  be  on  the  dryest  land.  They  are  also  more  fre- 
quently found  on  a  southern  or  western  exposure,  and  the  bees  to 
enter  the  cavities  through  apertures  open  towards  the  same  points 
of  the  compass. 


OF  THK 

TJNIVERSITY 


PLATE    XXVIII. 


FIGURE    47. 


BEE    SHADES.  183 

and  setting  them  three  feet  in  the  ground,  six  feet 
apart ;  then  take  a  piece  of  scantling  three  by  four, 
and  six  feet  long,  and  spike  across  the  top  of  each, 
at  an  angle  of  about  fifteen  degrees  from  the  horizon ; 
then  nail  a  strip  of  board  upon  the  side  of  the  post 
two  feet  from  the  top,  and  upon  the  cap  near  its  end, 
for  a  brace ;  upon  these  caps  broad  boards  are  laid 
the  whole  length  of  the  row.  The  first  season,  these 
boards  will  need  to  be  turned  over  frequently,  to  avoid 
warping ;  after  that,  they  will  need  little  attention, 
and  will  last  several  years.  For  manner  of  con- 
struction, see  plate  xxvin. 

Where  it  is  convenient,  it  will  take  less  lumber  to 
make  the  necessary  shade,  if  the  row  is  set  east  and 
west,  with  the  hives  facing  the  south.  This  aspect 
gives  the  bees  the  influence  of  the  sun,  at  the  pleas- 
ure of  the  keeper,  with  very  little  trouble  in  chang- 
ing the  covering. 

This  form  of  shade  combines  the  protection  of  the 
bees  when  at  work,  and  that  of  the  apiarist  when 
transferring,  colonizing,  changing  or  removing  comb, 
etc. 

About  the  first  of  November,  or  as  soon  as  hot 
weather  is  over,. the  boards  should  be  removed  and 
placed  upon  the  top  of  the  hives,  in  such  a  way  as  to 
shed  the  rain,  and  securely  fastened,  so  as  not  to  be 
blown  off  or  otherwise  disturbed. 

By  aBout  the  first  of  April,  they  should  again  be 
placed  upon  the  frame,  as  shown  in  the  plate. 

Where  rains  are  frequent  during  the  whole  year, 


184  THE   APIARY. 

permanent  shades  should  be  erected,  and  the  stands 
so  constructed  as  to  admit  the  hives  being  moved  for- 
ward, to  allow  the  sun  to  shine  on  them  when  the 
weather  is  cool,  or  moved  backwards  when  warm. 

STANDS  FOR  HIVES. 

Stools,  made  sixteen  inches  square  and  twelve 
inches  high,  are  the  most  convenient  stands  for  set- 
ting hives  upon,  as  they  admit  of  easy  removal. 
There  should  be  two  narrow  boards  bedded  down  in 
the  ground,  for  the  stools  to  stand  upon ;  care  should 
be  taken  in  all  cases  to  have  the  hives  kept  perfectly 
plumb,  as  the  bees  are  then  enabled  to  construct 
their  combs  within  the  frames  and  parallel  with  the 
sides  of  the  hives.  In  dry  situations,  a  board  may 
be  laid  on  the  ground,  or  elevated  a  few  inches,  for 
the  hives  to  stand  upon. 

A  stand  made  as  follows,  answers  the  purpose  well. 
For  one  twelve  feet  long,  prepare  ten  stakes,  made 
of  durable  timber — make  them  thirty  inches  long  and 
three  inches  in  diameter — sharpen  one  end  and  leave 
the  other  square  ;  they  are  then  to  be  driven  into  the 
ground  eighteen  inches,  set  in  pairs  three  feet  apart, 
and  eighteen  inches  between  stakes,  forming  two  par- 
allel lines ;  a  cap,  three  inches  wide,  one  inch  thick, 
and  twenty  inches  long,  is  nailed  on  the  top  of  each 
pair,  making  five  bearings  ;  a  plank,  twelve  feet  long, 
sixteen  inches  wide,  and  one  inch  thick,  is  then  laid 
on  them — -thus  forming  a  stand  for  either  five  or  six 
hives. 


OF  THR. 

UNIVERSITY 


PLATE    XXIX. 


MISCELLANEOUS.  185 

The  only  objection  to  this  kind  of  stand  is  the  fa- 
cility which  it  affords  the  bees  to  run  from  one  hive 
to  another ;  which  they  often  do  during  the  working 
season.  This  difficulty  may,  however,  be  overcome 
by  placing  the  hives  wide  apart. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

Plate  xxix,  fig.  48,  represents  a  roll  of  cotton  stuff, 
wrapped  with  twine,  and  one  end  on  fire,  the  smoke 
of  which  is  used  to  fumigate  the  bees,  either  to  con- 
quer them  or  to  drive  them  wherever  desired. 

Fig.  49.  Awing  used  for  brushing  the  bees  either 
off  the  combs  or  otherwise. 

Fig.  50.  A  pocket-knife  is  an  indispensable  article. 

Fig.  51.  Carving-knife,  used  for  cutting  or  straight- 
ening comb. 

Fig.  52.  Queen  £age,  made  of  wire  cloth,  three 
inches  long  and  one  inch  in  diameter ;  the  ends  closed 
by  corks. 

Fig.  53.  A  steel  blade  one  and  one-half  inches  wide 
and  twenty  inches  long — sharp  at  the  point;  used 
for  cutting  or  pruning  combs  out  of  chamber  hives. 

Fig.  54.  A  steel  rod,  with  cutter  on  the  end ;  also 
used  for  pruning  or  cutting  combs  out  of  chamber 
hives.  Figures  53  and  54  are  copied  from  "  Mys- 
teries of  Bee-keeping  Explained." 


CHAPTEE    XI 

HONEY. 


Production  of  Honey 195 

Requisites  for  obtaining  Honey 201 

How  to  remove  boxes  when  full 201 

Where  Honey  should  be  Kept 202 

Pack-boxes  for  carrying  Honey  to  Market 203 

How  Honey  should  be  Packed 203 

Worms  in  Honey 203 

To  prevent  Moth-Eggs  in  Honey  from  Hatching 204 

Straining  Honey  from  Comb .206 


CHAPTER  XL 

HONEY. 


"  HONEY  is  a  well  known  sweet,  tenacious  substance, 
which  in  fine  weather  is  continually  secreting  in  the 
nectaries  of  flowers,  chiefly  from  certain  vesicles  or 
glands  situated  near  the  basis  of  every  petal  from 
whence  it  is  collected  by  bees  and  other  insects. 
The  domestic  honey  bees  consume  a  portion  of  this 
honey  for  food  at  or  near  the  time  of  gathering,  but 
the  principal  part  of  what  they  collect  is  regurgitated 
and  poured  into  the  cells  of  the  hives  for  the  use  of 
the  community  in  winter  ;  so  very  abundant  are  these 
collections  in  favorable  seasons  as  to  afford  the  apia- 
rian an  extensive  share  of  them  without  distressing 
the  provident  hoarders.  Mr.  Wildman  states  that 
in  the  year  1789  he  purchased  a  glass  filled  with 
exceedingly  fine  honey-combs,  weighing  sixty-three 
pounds,  which  had  been  collected  within  a  month,  and 
that  the  hive  which  it  had  surmounted,  still  contained 
a  full  supply  for  the  winter's  consumption  of  the  bees. 
"  The  'honey  intended  for  early  use,  and  for  the 
nursing  bees  and  drones,  is  deposited  in  cells  which 
are  allowed  to  remain  open  ;  whilst  the  finest  honey, 


190  HONEY. 

which  is  laid  up  in  store  for  winter,  is  placed  in  the 
most  inaccessible  parts  of  the  hive,  and  closed  in  the 
cells  with  waxen  lids." 

"  In  the  Philosophical  Transactions  for  1792,  Mr. 
Hunter  has  stated  that  whatever  time  the  contents  of 
the  honey  bags  may  be  retained,  they  still  remain  pure 
and  unaltered  by  the  digestive  process.  Mr.  Polhill,  a 
gentleman  to  whom  the  public  are  indebted  for  several 
articles  in  Rees's  Cyclopedia  appertaining  to  bees,  is 
also  of  this  opinion.  Messrs.  Kirby  and  Spence  do  not 
admit  this  statement ;  as  the  nectar  of  flowers  is  not  of 
so  thick  a  consistency  as  honey,  they  think  it  must 
undergo  some  change  in  the  stomach  of  the  bee. 
They  are  countenanced  in  this  opinion  by  Swammer- 
dam  and  Reaumur ;  the  latter  has  observed  that  if 
there  was  a  deficiency  of  flowers  at  the  season  of 
honey-gathering,  and  the  bees  were  furnished  with 
sugar,  they  filled  their  cells  with  honey  differing  in 
no  other  respect  from  honey  collected  in  the  usual 
way,  but  in  its  possessing  a  somewhat  higher  flavor, 
and  in  its  never  candying  nor  even  losing  its  fluidity 
by  long  keeping. 

"  The  naturalists  just  named,  highly  and  deserv- 
edly as  they  are  celebrated,  are  not  borne  out  in  their 
opinions,  either  by  my  own  experiments  or  those  of 
my  apiarian  correspondents  ;  we  have  each  tried  sup- 
plying bees  with  syrup  of  sugar  as  a  resource  for  win- 
ter, without  finding  any  material  change  in  it  after  it 
was  stored.  It  might  be  somewhat  clearer,  but  no 
other  difference  whatever  was  perceptible." — Bevan. 


EG  N7VEBSITY 

HONEY.  191 

I  here  agree  with  Mr.  Bevan,  but  will  add  that  the 
bees  impart  a  peculiar  musk  which  gives  the  honey 
a  sharpish,  pungent  taste  found  in  no  other  sweet. 
This  is  more  perceptible  in  honey  made  in  cold  cli- 
mates than  that  made  in  warm  ;  the  reason  is,  the 
bees  are  compelled  to  cluster  in  large  masses  in  the 
former  in  order  to  maintain  animal  heat ;  this  process 
also  creates  the  musk  thus  imparted,  while  in  the 
latter,  where  a  high  temperature  prevails,  they  are 
enabled  to  build  comb  with  scarcely  any  cluster  sur- 
rounding ;  in  this  case  but  little  musk  is  imparted  to 
the  honey. 

This  musk  is  the  probable  cause  of  honey  inducing 
colic  in  some  persons,  so  that  they  cannot  use  it 
when  new ;  but  after  it  has  attained  age,  it  loses  this 
effect,  proving  to  my  mind  that  the  musk  is  the  cause. 

"The  power  of  re  gurgitation  in  the  bee  is  very 
remarkable  ;  its  alimentary  organs,  like  those  of  the 
^pigeon,  besides  being  subservient  to  the  purposes  of 
nutriment,  afford  a  temporary  store-room,  or  reser- 
voir. Ruminating  animals  may  be  considered  as 
regurgitating  animals,  though  in  them  the  operation 
is  performed  for  different  purposes.  In  some  it  is 
exercised  for  the  purpose  of  digesting  the  food,  in 
others  for  feeding  the  young ;  but  in  bees  its  use  is 
to  enable  them  to  disburden  themselves  of  the  honey 
which  they  gather  for  the  winter's  store  of  the  com- 
munity." 

"  The  finest  flavored  and  most  delicate  honey  is 
that  which  is  collected  from  aromatic  plants  and  has 


192  HONEY. 

been  stored  in  clean,  new  cells ;  it  has  been  usually 
called  virgin  honey,  as  though  it  were  elaborated  by 
a  fresh  swarm  of  bees ;  but  this  is  not  essential  to 
the  perfection  of  honey,  for,  provided  the  cells  in 
which  it  is  deposited  have  never  contained  either 
brood  or  farina,  it  is  not  material  whether  it  have 
been  collected  by  swarms  or  by  stocks  ;  the  season 
and  the  flowers  having  been  the  same,  the  quality  of 
the  honey  will  in  both  cases  be  alike." 

«  prime  honey  possesses  a  whitish  color,  an  agree- 
able smell,  a  pleasant  taste,  and  a  thick  consistency. 
When  taken  from  the  combs  it  is  in  a  fluid  state,  but 
gradually  thickens  by  age,  and  in  cold  weather  there 
will  be  deposited,  if  the  quality  be  genuine,  a  firm 
and  solid  mass  of  honey,  which  it  may  be  unneces- 
sary to  state  is  of  more  value  than  the  softer  portion 
which  rises  to  the  top.  In  England,  honey  has  sel- 
dom been  known  to  assume  a  solid  state  while  in  the 
hives;  and  even  out  of  them,  if  it  remain  in  the 
combs,  it  will  preserve  its  fluidity,  clearness  and  fine 
flavor  for  at  least  a  year,  if  not  exposed  to  a  low  tem- 
perature. The  honey  of  tropical  climates  is  always 
in  a  fluid  state." 

When  honey  is  first  gathered  from  flowers  it  is 
quite  thin.  The  cells  are  only  partly  filled  at  first, 
and  are  then  left  so  for  some  time,  to  allow  the  watery 
particles  to  evaporate,  after  which  they  are  filled  up, 
and  when  the  honey  is  of  proper  consistency  it  is 
sealed  over  with  wax,  and  remains  without  further 
diminution. 


HONEY.  193 

The  manner  of  placing  the  honey  in  the  cell  is  as 
follows :  The  loaded  bee  enters  the  cell  head  foremost, 
it  then  commences  to  regurgitate,  and  as  the  honey 
passes  from  the  proboscis,  it  is  kept  in  motion,  brush- 
ing it  first  on  the  bottom  of  the  cell,  then  advancing 
it  regularly  on  all  sides  so  that  the  air  is  expelled, 
and  the  honey  is  kept  concave  and  in  its  place,  by 
the  pressure  of  the  atmosphere.  In  this  manner  the 
bees  will  fill  the  underside  of  a  comb  when  the  mouftis 
of  the  cells  are  placed  downwards,  without  the  honey 
running  out. 

This  very  interesting  operation  may  be  witnessed 
through  glass,  when  the  bees  join  their  comb  to  it  and 
make  it  serve  as  a  portion  of  the  wall  of  a  cell. 

In  California  the  quantity  of  honey  gathered  by  a 
single  hive  in  a  year,  is  greater,  and  the  quality 
better  than  is  usually  found  in  any  other  country. 
Owing  to  the  peculiarly  dry  climate  the  honey  is  more 
dense,  weighing  nearly  one  pound  more  per  gallon 
than  that  usually  made  in  the  Atlantic  States ;  in  con- 
sequence of  which  it  will  keep  good  for  years,  and 
can  be  transported  to  the  Atlantic  cities  and  to 
Europe  in  prime  order,  and  at  a  profit  to  the  pro- 
ducer. And  the  time  is  not  distant  when,  if  the  bus- 
iness of  bee-raising  receives  the  attention  it  deserves, 
the  export  of  honey  and  bees-wax  will  be  no  inconsid- 
erable item  of  revenue  to  the  apiarists  of  the  Pacific 
coast.  The  mountain  honey  will  probably  take  the 
lead,  both  for  beauty  and  excellence  of  flavor. 

Honey  gathered  on  the  plains  and  in  the.  valleys 


194  HONEY. 

previous  to  July,  is  of  good  flavor  and  of  various 
shades  of  color,  that  from  mustard  being  whiter  than 
any  other ;  the  prevailing  color  is,  however,  a  dark 
yellow,  with  occasionally  a  reddish  tint.  But  the 
honey  most  esteemed  for  both  flavor  and  density  is 
that  gathered  from  the  Cephalanthus  in  the  months 
of  July  and  August.  It  is  of  a  golden  yellow  color 
and  transparent,  while  most  of  that  gathered  from 
other  sources  at  a  later  period,  is  of  dark  color,  re- 
sembling Orleans  molasses,  and  is  in  flavor  or  dens- 
ity but  little  better;  the  amount  gathered  of  the 
latter,  however,  is  not  usually  large.  When  buying 
honey,  choose  that  which  is  of  a  clear  color  (yellow 
to  be  preferred)  and  thick  consistency.  All  red  or 
dark  honey  should  be  tested  before  buying,  unless  it 
is  warranted  by  responsible  parties-. 

In  the  Atlantic  States  the  principal  sources  whence 
honey  is  obtained  are  white  clover,  poplar,  (or  white- 
wood)  chestnut,  linden-  (or  bass-wood)  and  buck- 
wheat. 

The  honey  from  the  two  former  is  of  nearly  the 
same  quality,  and  is  gathered  during  the  same  period, 
which  is  June  and  part  of  July.  It  is  nearly  white 
and  transparent,  and  is  considered  the  standard  of 
excellence. 

The  chestnut  and  linden  bloom  together,  from  the 
first  to  the  twentieth  of  July,  and  afford  honey  of 
a  much  darker  color,  and  not  as  fine  flavored  as 
the  above. 

Honey  from  buckwheat  is  of  a  reddish  color  and 


PRODUCTION    OF   HONEY.  195 

fine  flavor,  preferred   by  some,  even,  to  that  from 
white  clover. 

In  some  of  the  western  States,  the  golden  rod  and 
other  wild  flowers  afford  large  quantities  of  honey  of 
good  quality. 


PRODUCTION   OF   HONEY. 

The  production  of  honey,  which  is  the  most  desira- 
ble, and  at  the  same  time  the  most  remunerative  prod- 
uct of  the  bee,  should  be  the  aim  of  every  bee- 
keeper ;  hence,  to  so  manage  the  apiary  that  the 
largest  possible  yield  of  the  precious  nectar  is  ob- 
tained, and  at  the  same  time  leave  the  stock  in  good 
condition  at  the  close  of  the  season,  is  the  great 
desideratum  in  bee-keeping. 

This  result  can  be  secured  with  the  greatest  cer- 
tainty by  making  a  small  increase  in  the  number  of 
stock  each  year.  This  increase  may  be  either  by 
artificial  colonization  or  natural  swarming,  as  suits 
the  owner's  convenience.  Thus,  if  a  watch  can  be 
kept  so  as  to  secure  the  swarms  when  they  issue,  it 
is  best  to  let  them  stand  until  they  fill  one  set  of 
boxes ;  (which  a  part  of  the  stocks  usually  do  before 
swarming,  while  others  only  partially  fill  them)  these 
are  then  to  be  taken  out,  and  if  increase  is  preferred  to 
honey,  then  form  a  colony  as  directed  in  Chap.  xvn. 
Then  after  one  interchange  of  combs  between  the 
colony  and  the  parent  hive,  place  other  honey  boxes 
in  the  chamber,  to  allow  them  to  resume  storing 


196  HONEY. 

honey,  which  they  do  as  soon  as  the  main  apartment 
of  the  hive  is  full,  provided  there  is  ample  pasturage. 

If  only  one  swarm  increase  is  wanted  from  a  hive 
during  a  season,  proceed  as  follows :  on  the  fifth  or 
sixth  day  after  a  swarm  issues  from  a  hive,  open  it 
and  remove  all  the  queen  cells  but  one.  A  better 
plan,  however,  is  to  procure  a  fertile  queen,  (from  a 
colony  prepared  for  that  purpose,  as  directed  in  Chap, 
xvn)  and  introduce  her  into  the  hive  that  has  sent 
out  the  swarm ;  this  may  be  done  at  any  time  within 
six  days  from  the  time  the  swarm  leaves,  at  which 
time  all  the  queen  cells  should  be  removed,  if  wanted 
for  use.  (If  the  queen  cells  are  not  removed,  it  is 
possible  thmt  the  queen  so  introduced  would  lead 
another  swarm.)  This  will  effectually  prevent  after 
swarming,  at  least  for  fifty  days  thereafter. 

But  should  an  increase  of  two  or  more  swarms  or 
colonies  be  wanted,  then  on  the  fifth  or  sixth  day  as 
above,  the  combs  and  bees  of  the  parent  hive  are  to 
be  equally  divided,  one  part  being  placed  in  a  new 
hive  ;  see  that  each  have  one  embryo  queen ;  all 
others  are  to  be  removed,  else  when  they  emerge, 
there  is  danger  of  a  swarm  departing,  although  the 
hive  be  not  half  full  of  comb  or  bees.  These  divis- 
ions are  to  be  managed  as  directed  in  the  Chapter 
on  Formation  of  Colonies. 

There  is  no  certain  way  to  keep  bees  from  swarm- 
ing during  the  natural  period  thereof,  but  to  divide 
them  just  previous  to  their  swarming,  and  remove  the 
supernumerary  queen  cells  from  the  queenless  divis- 


PRODUCTION   OF  HONEY.  197 

ion  on  the  ninth  or  tenth  day  from  the  time  of  mak- 
ing the  division. 

Then,  by  making  one  interchange  of  comb  on  the 
fourteenth  to  the  sixteenth  day,  by  the  time  either 
hive  would  be  full  the  propensity  to  swarm  would  be 
abated  ;  honey  boxes  might  then  be  put  in  with  tol- 
erable safety  from  further  swarming,  yet  the  chances 
to  get  the  boxes  filled  would  not  be  as  good  as  at  an 
earlier  period. 

The  aim  of  every  bee-keeper  (who  understands  his 
business)  will  always  be  to  keep  his  stock  in  such  a 
shape  that  he  can  have  his  hives  full  and  ready  to 
store  surplus  honey  at  the  commencement  of  a  har- 
vest of  flowers  that  are  known  to  bloom  at  a  certain 
time.  This  object  is  to  be  accomplished  by  keeping 
the  stocks  strong  ;  also  by  furnishing  pasture,  or  feed- 
ing at  a  time  when  nature  does  not  afford  a  sufficient 
supply. 

I  will  here  describe  a  peculiarity  of  the  honey  bee, 
or  rather,  a  provision  of  nature  to  guard  against  over- 
population. This  feature  seems  not  to  have  been 
noticed  by  any  previous  author.  Where  bees  are 
sparsely  scattered  over  a  country  having  abundant 
pasturage,  the  propensity  to  swarm  is  very  great ;  so 
much  so,  that  from  three  to  four-fold  increase  per 
year  can  be  counted  on  with  tolerable  certainty. 
(There  are  instances  where  more  than  twice  this  in- 
crease has  been  attained.)  But  as  the  same  country 
becomes  largely  populated  with  bees,  the  number  of 
swarms  departing  is  gradually  lessened,  till  finally 


198  HONEY. 

there  will  not  be  more  than  enough  to  keep  the  num- 
bers of  the  stock  whole.  When  this  point  is  attained, 
it  is  certain  that  the  locality  is  fully  stocked,  and  that 
an  increase  over  that  number  can  only  be  made  with 
safety  by  increasing  the  pasture  in  an  equal  ratio,  or 
by  liberal  feeding  during  such  portions  of  the  year 
as  do  not  afford  enough  food  for  the  stock. 

Such  feeding,  however,  can  only  be  made  profita- 
ble where  a  certain  and  sufficiently  abundant  pastur- 
age can  be  depended  on  at  a  given  time  to  ensure  a 
large  yield  of  surplus  honey. 

Hence  it  is  apparent  that  a  certain  number  of  bees 
kept  in  a  place  will  yield  a  profit  to  their  owner ;  but 
go  beyond  that  and  it  will  require  all  the  gatherings 
to  sustain  themselves.  However,  as  there  are  no  two 
seasons  in  succession  alike  in  productiveness,  it  will 
readily  occur  to  every  thinking  mind,  that  where  a 
population  of  bees  exists  equal  to  the  resources  of 
the  neighborhood  for  an  ordinary  season,  a  more  pro- 
ductive one  will  increase  the  number  of  colonies, 
while  a  less  productive  one  will  again  diminish  them, 
unless  special  provisions  are  made  for  their  subsist- 
ence. 

A  knowledge  of  the  above  facts  will  prove  valuable 
to  all  persons  interested  in  bee  culture,  showing  as  it 
does  the  impropriety  of  a  rapid  multiplication  of  colo- 
nies after  a  neighborhood  has  become  sufficiently 
populated,  but  instead  thereof  to  produce  merchant- 
able honey. 

There  are  usually  two  short  periods  in  each  year, 
when  flowers  are  so  abundant  and  rich  in  honey  that 


OF  THB 

UNIVERSITY 


PLATE    XXX 


Hlfliiiiili 


FIGURE  55. 


PRODUCTION    OF   HONEY.  199 

bees  are  enabled  to  fill  their  storehouses  in  an  incredi- 
bly short  time.  When  this  occurs  in  the  spring  or 
early  part  of  summer,  it  is  usual  for  them  to  swarm, 
unless  there  is  an  over-population  as  before  shown. 

There  are  always  some  hives,  however,  amongst 
all  stocks,  that  have  so  many  bees  that  all  cannot 
enter  the  hive,  but  remain  clustered  on  the  outside, 
without  sending  out  a  single  swarm  during  the  whole 
season.  Again ;  in  many  districts,  bees  are  afforded 
a  very  abundant  harvest  of  honey  after  the  twentieth 
of  July,  yet  it  is  but  seldom  that  any  swarm  after 
that  time,  consequently  some  hives  become  excessively 
crowded  and  cluster  on  the  outside  of  the  hive  in 
large  masses ;  (this  is  sometimes  the  case  when  the 
hive  is  not  entirely  full,  being  occasioned  by  heat ;  to 
relieve  them,  more  ventilation  should  be  given  and 
the  hive  well  shaded)  in  which  case,  more  room 
should  be  given  to  them  in  the  following  manner: 
First  place  suitable  boxes  for  receiving  surplus  honey 
in  the  chamber  made  for  that  purpose  ;  should  these 
still  not  afford  sufficient  room  for  all  the  bees  to  enter, 
then  add  collateral  boxes,  as  shown  in  plate  xxx,  fig. 
55.  ee,  are  two  boxes,  same  as  used  in  the  chamber 
with  an  aperture  L  one  and  one-half  inches  in  diameter. 
In  each,  corresponding  holes  are  made  in  the  sides  of 
the  hive  as  shown  at  M\  tin  caps  are  attached  as 
shown  at  JV,  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  the  holes 
closed  while,  the  boxes  are  removed ;  O  is  an  outer 
case  to  cover  the  boxes  e  e,  made  twelve  and  one-half 
by  twelve  and  one-half  inches,  in  the  clear,  in  height 


200  HONEY. 

and  depth,  and  six  and  one-half  inches  wide ;  this 
case  is  composed  of  four  boards,  leaving  one  side 
and  the  bottom  open,  the  hive  and  stand  serving  in- 
stead. When  in  use  the  boxes,  together  with  the 
case,  are  brought  in  contact  with  the  hive  and  held 
in  place  by  means  of  hooks  and  staples  bb.  If  guide 
combs  are  attached  in  these  boxes  it  will  induce  the 
bees  to  enter  them  more  readily.  As  soon  as  the 
boxes  in  the  chamber  are  full  and  the  comb  properly 
sealed  over,  they  should  be  removed,  and  if  any  combs 
have  been  built  in  the  collateral  boxes,  gently  move 
them  with  their  contents  into  the  chamber  and  sup- 
ply empty  boxes  in  their  stead.  Although  these  side 
boxes  may  never  be  entirely  filled,  while  in  that  posi- 
tion, yet  there  is  a  gain  if  even  partially  so,  as  the 
bees  complete  them  in  a  short  time  when  placed  in 
the  chamber. 

As  soon  as  the  bees  cease  to  make  comb  or  store 
honey  in  the  side  boxes,  they  should  be  removed  to 
a  dry  and  safe  place  till  again  wanted ;  otherwise,  if 
they  remain  when  not  actually  needed,  they  form  a 
harbor  for  worms. 

Various  kinds  of  collateral  boxes  have  been  used 
by  different  bee-keepers  at  various  times,  occasionally 
with  success,  but  oftener  resulting  in  failure.  Many 
people,  for  the  want  of  the  necessary  knowledge  of 
the  habits  of  the  bee,  as  well  as  the  resources  of 
pasturage  at  the  different  seasons,  freqifently  defer 
supplying  boxes  till  it  is  too  late,  or  supply  them 
to  hives  perhaps  not  half  full  either  of  comb  or  bees, 


HOW  TO  REMOVE  BOXES  WHEN  FULL.    201 

and  vainly  expect  to  get  them  filled  with  delicious 
honey  within  a  short  time ;  failing  in  this,  they  are 
apt  to  attribute  it  to  a  wrong  cause. 


REQUISITES   FOR  OBTAINING  HONEY. 

There  are  three  requisites  necessary  to  obtain  sur- 
plus honey  ;  the  first  of  which  is,  a  hive  with  the  main 
apartment  full  of  comb,  with  the  interspace  full  of 
bees ;  (no  danger  of  there  being  too  many)  the  second, 
abundant  pasturage,  and  the  third,  favorable  weather ; 
with  these  three  requisites,  boxes  for  the  reception  of 
surplus  honey  may  be  added,  with  the  assurance  that 
they  will  be  filled  in  due  time.  When  full,  the  combs 
present  an  even  surface,  all  the  cells  being  sealed 
over  with  wax,  and  they  are  ready  for  removal. 

HOW   TO   REMOVE   BOXES   WHEN   FULL. 

Open  the  hive  and  remove  the  glass  frame  and 
blow  in  a  little  smoke ;  then  take  a  chisel  or  knife  and 
loosen  the  boxes ;  after  giving  the  bees  four  or  five 
minutes  to  descend,  take  out  the  boxes,  and  as  the 
bees  emerge  from  them,  brush  them  off  at  the  en- 
trance of  the  hive.  Or  the  boxes  may  be  set  in  a 
dark  room,  leaving  one  window  open  for  the  bees  to 
fly  out  and  return  to  their  hive,  which  they  will  do 
after  they  have  filled  their  sacs  with  honey.  If  there 
are  many  young  bees  in  the  boxes,  they  are  apt  to 
remain,  as  they  do  not  know  where  to  go,  in  which 
9* 


202  HONEY. 

case  they  should  be  brushed  out  and  returned  to  the 
hive. 

In  removing  boxes  filled  in  the  early  part  of  the 
season,  they  should  be  carefully  examined,  to  ascer- 
tain if  there  is  any  brood  in  them  ;*  this  being  fre- 
quently the  case,  particularly  in  boxes  filled  in  small 
hives,  or  such  as  have  the  bees  to  enter  the  boxes 
near  the  center  of  the  hive.  If  brood  is  found,  either 
cut  it  out,  or  return  the  box  until  the  brood  emerges. 

A  sure  preventive,  is  to  have  hives  of  a  proper 
size,  and  only  permit  the  bees  to  enter  the  boxes 
from  the  side  spaces,  away  from  the  brood,  in  the 
main  apartment. 

The  boxes  of  honey  should  be  kept  either  with  the 
top  or  bottom  uppermost,  so  that  the  combs  remain 
on  their  edges. 


WHERE  HONEY   SHOULD   BE  KEPT. 

As  soon  as  all  the  bees  are  out,  the  boxes  of  honey 
should  be  placed  in  a  dry  room,  from  which  the  bees, 
as  well  other  insects,  are  excluded ;  or  they  may  be 
placed  in'  pack-boxes,  as  hereafter  directed,  and  kept 
in  a  dry  place,  (a  cool  one  if  possible)  where  it 
should  remain,  ready  to  transport  to  market  at  any 
time. 


*  It  is  seldom  that  any  but  drone  brood  is  found  in  the  top,  or 
surplus  boxes. 


WORMS   IN   HONEY.  203 

PACK-BOXES  FOR  CARRYING  HONEY  TO  MARKET. 

Pack-boxes,  for  carrying  honey  to  market,  should 
be  made  out  of  sound  inch  lumber,  and  of  a  size  con- 
venient for  handling.  One  that  will  hold  ten  boxes 
of  honey,  (which  is  a  suitable  size  for  two  persons  to 
handle)  should  be  thirteen  and  one-half  inches  square 
in  the  clear,  and  thirty-three  inches  long  in  the  clear ; 
a  strip  should  be  nailed  on  each  side  two-thirds  of  the 
distance  from  the  bottom,  and  extending  at  either  end 
to  form  handles  to  lift  by. 


HOW  HONEY  SHOULD  BE  PACKED. 

The  boxes  of  honey  should  be  packed  in  the  pack- 
box  crosswise  and  with  the  bottom  side  uppermost ; 
when  full,  they  should  be  firmly  wedged  together,  as 
it  serves  to  prevent  breakage  ;  the  lid  should  then  be 
fastened  and  prominently  marked :  "  THIS  SIDE  UP, 
WITH  CARE;"  and  if  kept  so,  will  carry  safely  any 
desired  distance  ;  while  if  changed,  with  a  different 
side  up,  the  honey-combs  are  sure  to  be  broken, 
which  not  only  damages  its  appearance,  but  causes 
the  honey  to  run  out,  resulting  in  great  loss. 


WORMS   IN   HONEY. 

In  the  Atlantic  States,  it  is  a  thing  of  common  oc- 
currence to  find  bee-worms  in  boxes  of  honey  that 
are  filled  in  the  early  part  of  the  season.  The  eggs 


204  HONEY. 

from  which  they  hatch  are  evidently  in  the  boxes  at 
the  time  they  are  removed  from  the  hive,  being  laid 
there  by  the  miller  herself,  or  accidentally  carried 
there  by  the  bees  from  some  other  place  of  deposit. 
Several  days  of  warm  weather  must  elapse,  after  the 
honey  is  removed  from  the  hive,  before  the  worms 
are  hatched  and  sufficiently  developed  to  be  noticed. 
Mr.  Quinby  describes  their  progress  as  follows : 

"  In  a  few  days,  I  could  see  at  first  a  little  white 
dust,  like  flour,  on  the  sides  of  the  combs,  and  on 
the  bottom  of  the  jar.  As  the  worms  grew  larger, 
this  dust  was  coarser.  By  looking  closely  at  the 
combs,  a  small  white  thread-like  line  was  first  per- 
ceptible— enlarging  as  the  worms  progressed.'' 

When  combs  are  filled  with  honey,  the  worms  go 
only  on  the  surface ;  seldom  penetrating  to  the  cen- 
ter, unless  they  find  an  empty  cell. 

Disgusting  as  they  seem  to  be,  they  dislike  being 
daubed  with  honey.  "  Wax,  and  not  honey,  is  their 
food"  is  the  opinion  that  mostly  prevails  ;  yet,  I  be- 
lieve that  a  portion  of  honey  and  also  of  pollen  is 
consumed  by  the  worms. 

If  the  honey  is  left  in  the  care  of  the  bees,  it  is 
not  disturbed  by  worms,  while  there  is  a  numerous 
swarm  to  protect  it ;  but  if  the  hive  once  becomes 
weak,  the  furniture  in  it  is  usually  soon  eaten  up  by 
the  worms. 

TO  PREVENT  MOTH-EGGS  IN   HONEY  FROM  HATCHING. 

The  honey  should  be  kept  in  a  place  where  the 


TO  PREVENT  MOTH-EGGS  FROM  HATCHING.      205 

temperature  is  permanently  below  sixty  degrees ;  it 
must,  however,  be  a  dry  one,  as  dampness  injures 
the  quality  of  the  honey. 

If  a  cool  and  dry  place,  in  which  to  keep  honey, 
cannot  be  had,  the  boxes  should  be  taken  (after  the 
bees  are  all  out  of  them)  and  closely  covered  over, 
and  after  one  week  elapses,  they  should  be  frequent- 
ly examined,  and  if  any  worms  are  found,  they  should 
be  removed  without  breaking  the  comb.  This  can 
easily  be  done  in  the  section  honey  box;  but  if  the 
ordinary  boxes  are  used,  the  bottom  of  the  box  should 
be  drawn,  in  order  to  remove  the  worms.  Where 
the  combs  become  much  mutilated  or  soiled  with 
honey,  I  have  frequently  put  the  box  into  a  hive  of 
bees,  and  let  it  remain  for  ten  hours,  and  sometimes 
longer,  to  allow  them  to  lick  up  the  daubed  honey  ; 
as  soon  as  they  do  so,  the  box  should  be  taken  out, 
Mr.  Quinby's  "  Method  of  Killing  Worms  in  Boxes :" 
u  Perhaps  you  may  find  one  box  in  ten  that  will  have 
no  worms  about  it ;  others  may  contain  from  one  to 
twenty,  when  they  have  been  off  a  week  or  more. 

"All  the  eggs  should  have  a  chance  to  hatch, 
which,  in  cool  weather,  may  be  three  weeks.  They 
should  be  watched,  that  no  worms  get  large  enough 
to  injure  the  combs  much,  before  they  are  destroyed. 

"  Get  a  close  barrel  or  box,  that  will  exclude  the 
air  as  much  as  possible ;  in  this  put  the  boxes,  with 
the  holes  in  the  bottom  open ;  in  one  corner  leave  a 
place  for  a  cup  or  dish  of  some  kind  to  hold  some  sul- 
phur matches,  while  .burning.  (They  are  made  by 


CHAPTER    XII. 

POLLEN,  OR  BEE-BREAD. 


Use  of  Pollen 212 

Rye  Meal  as  a  Substitute 213 

Bees  Aid  in  Fertilizing  Plants 214 

Bees  not  Injurious  to  Grapes 215 


CHAPTER    XII. 

POLLEN,  OR  BEE-BREAD. 


"  POLLEN  is  the  fine  fecundating  dust  or  fine  sub- 
stance, like  flour  or  meal,  contained  in  the  anther  of 
flowers,  which  is  dispersed  on  the  stigma  for  impreg- 
nation."* 

Bees  collect  large  quantities  of  this  substance  and 
store  it  in  their  combs :  to  do  this,  they  fly  from  flower 
to  flower,  gathering  and  forming  the  fine  flour-like 
substance  into  two  pellets  in  their  fossae  (or  basket) 
which  is  a  slight  indentation,  surrounded  by  short 
hairs,  on  their  hind  legs.  In  doing  this  the  particles 
are  first  gathered  in  their  mandible  and  then  slightly 
moistened  and  compressed ;  it  is  then  taken  in  small 
particles  with  the  fore  feet  and  constantly  passed 
back  as  gathered,  and  made  to  adhere  in  the  fossae 
till  finally  their  load  is  completed,  presenting  the  ap- 
pearance as  shown  in  plate  I,  fig.  9.  They  then 
return  to  their  hives  and  either  use  it  immediately 
or  deposit  it  in  their  cells,  each  of  which  they  only 
partly  fill :  much  of  it  is  suffered  to  remain  unsealed 

*  N.  Webster. 


212 


for  immediate  use,  while  a  considerable  portion  is 
sealed  over,  after  having  each  cell  filled  out  with 
honey :  it  will  then  keep  good  for  winter  use,  and 
frequently  remains  so  for  years. 

This  deposit  is  usually  made  in  worker  cells.  It 
is  true  that  bees  sometimes  are  seen  entering  their 
hives,  covered  with  the  dust-like  pollen  of  flowers 
without  any  pellets  of  the  same,  but  they  are  invari- 
ably laden  with  honey,  their  excursion  being  only  for 
the  latter. 

This  dust  is  brushed  off  their  bodies  and  is  mostly 
found  on  the  bottom  of  the  hive,  (if  flat)  where  it 
serves  as  food  for  worms  as  well  as  a  favorite  lurking 
place  for  them. 

A  bee  will  confine  itself  to  one  kind  of  flower 
while  collecting  a  load,  either  of  honey  or  pollen ;  and 
if  both  are  found  in  the  same  flower,  they  load  partly 
with  each. 

The  color  of  pollen  is  always  the  same  in  the  same 
kind  of  flower,  hence  the  load  of  a  bee  is  of  the  same 
color  as  that  from  which  it  is  gathered.  And  as 
flowers  are  found  of  every  color,  so  we  see  the  bees 
returning  to  their  homes  each  laden  with  pollen  of  a 
different  hue.  Even  the  honey  is  tinged  from  the 
same  cause. 

USE   OF   POLLEN. 

Pollen  is  used  solely  as  food.  In  connection  with 
honey,  it  is  indispensable  for  the  nutrition  of  the 
young.  It  is  also  consumed  by  the  adult  bees  ;  yet 


EYE   MEAL   AS   A    SUBSTITUTE.  213 

they  will  survive  through  the  winter  without  it,  while 
if  fed  on  it  alone  they  soon  die.  The  amount  con- 
sumed by  the  bees  of  a  single  hive  is  very  large, 
probably  as  high  as  thirty  or  forty  pounds  in  a  single 
year. 

RYE  MEAL  AS  A   SUBSTITUTE. 

"  Though  the  importance  of  pollen  has  long  been 
know,  it  is  only  of  late  that  any  attempts  have  been 
made  to  furnish  a  substitute.  Dzierzon,  early  in  the 
spring,  observed  his  bees  bringing  rye  meal  to  their 
hives  from  a  neighboring  mill,  before  they  could  pro- 
cure any  pollen  from  natural  supplies.  The  hint  was 
not  lost ;  and  it  is  now  a  common  practice  in  Europe, 
where  bee-keeping  is  extensively  carried  on,  to  sup- 
ply the  bees  early  in  the  season  with  this  article. 
Shallow  troughs  are  set  in  front  of  the  apiaries,  filled 
about  two  inches  deep  with  finely  ground  dry  unbolted 
rye  meal.  Thousands  of  bees,  when  the  weather  is 
favorable,  resort  eagerly  to  them,  and,  rolling  them- 
selves in  the  meal,  return  heavily  laden  to  their  hives. 
In  fine,  mild  weather,  they  labor  at  this  work  with 
great  industry,  preferring  the  meal  to  the  old  pollen 
stored  in  their  combs.  They  thus  breed  early,  and 
rapidly  recruit  their  numbers.  The  feeding  is  con- 
tinued till  the  blossoms  furnishing  a  preferable  article 
they  cease  to  carry  off  the  meal.  The  average  con- 
sumption of  each  colony  is  about  two  pounds."5* 

*Langstroth. 


214  POLLEN,    OR    BEE-BREAD. 

I  have  fed  my  bees  with  rye  meal  and  find  it  bene- 
ficial, particularly  in  a  cold,  backward  spring.  Some 
bee-keepers  find  fault  that  their  bees  store  too  much 
pollen ;  this  I  believe  but  seldom  occurs,  at  least,  it 
never  has  with  mine. 


BEES   AID   IN   FERTILIZING   PLANTS. 

"  The  value  of  hymenopterous  insects  as  agents  in 
fertilizing  plants,  has  many  times  been  demonstrated 
by  experiment.  We  recollect  an  instance  of  this, 
which  transpired  many  years  ago,  so  connected  with 
pleasant  associations  that  it  made  a  striking  impres- 
sion. While  on  a  journey  from  St.  Petersburg  to 
the  transcaucasian  provinces,  in  the  month  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1825,  we  were  obliged,  on  account  of  the 
intense  cold,  to  stop  in  the  government  of  Twer,  on 
the  estate  of  our  friend  Gregor  Wasiliewitsch  Lihat- 
chef,  colonel  in  the  Imperial  Gards-a-Cbeval.  There 
we  were  shown  a  very  spacious  hot-house,  full  of  fine 
flowering  plants ;  and  also,  among  others,  about  fif- 
teen cherry  trees,  covered  with  blossoms.  We  con- 
gratulated Lady  Lihatchef  upon  the  prospect  of  a 
large  crop  of  fruit,  when  she  informed  us  that  her 
gardiner  had  never  succeeded  in  raising  more  than 
one  dish-full  of  fruit  from  all  those  trees.  We  as-' 
sure'd  her  that  if  she  would  place  in  her  green-house 
a  few  full  bee-hives,  there  would  be  a  charm  about 
them  that  would  insure  her  an  abundant  harvest  of 
fruit.  Two  years  afterward  we  visited  that  lady  in 


BEES   NOT   INJURIOUS   TO   GRAPES.  215 

Moscow,  on  our  return  from  the  Caucasus,  when  she 
desired  an  explanation  of  the  charm  connected  with 
the  bee-hive  ;  '  for/  said  she,  *  since  they  were  placed 
in  the  hot-house,  all  the  trees  have  produced  fruit  in 
abundance.'  We  then  explained  to  her  that  the  bees 
collect  the  pollen  of  the  flowers,  and,  at  the  same 
-time,  bring  this  fertilizing  farina  of  the  stamens  in 
contact  with  the  germ,  which  then  produces  the 
fruit."* 

"  While  the  honey  bee  is  regarded  by  the  best  in- 
formed horticulturists  as  a  friend,  a  strong  prejudice 
has  been  excited  against  it  by  many  fruit-growers  in 
this  country  ;  and  in  some  communities,  a  man  who 
keeps  bees,  is  considered  as  bad  a  neighbor  as  one 
who  allows  his  poultry  to  despoil  the  gardens  of  oth- 
ers. Even  the  warmest  friends  of  the  '  busy  bee ' 
may  be  heard  lamenting  its  propensity  to  banquet  on 
their  beautiful  peaches  and  pears,  and  choicest 
grapes." 

BEES  NOT  INJURIOUS  TO  GRAPES. 

"  In  conversation  with  a  gentleman,  I  once  assigned 
three  reasons  why  the  bees  could  not  inflict  any  ex- 
tensive injury  upon  his  grapes.  First :  that  as  the 
Creator  appears  to  have  intended  both  the  honey  bee 
and  fruit  for  the  comfort  of  man,  it  was  difficult  to 
conceive  that  he  would  have  made  one  the  natural 


*  The  Life  of  North  American  Insects,  by  B.  Jaeger. 


216  POLLEN,    OR   BEE-BREAD. 

enemy  of  the  other.  Second:  that  as  the  supplies 
of  honey  from  the  blossoms  had  entirely  failed,  the 
season  (1854)  being  exceedingly  dry,  if  the  numer- 
ous colonies  in  his  vicinity  had  been  able  to  help 
themselves  to  his  sound  grapes%  they  would  have  en- 
tirely devoured  the  fruit  of  his  vines.  Third :  that 
the  jaws  of  the  bee,  being  adapted  chiefly  to  the 
manipulation  of  wax,  were  too  feeble  to  enable  them  to 
puncture  the  skin  of  his  most  delicate  grapes. 

"  In  reply  to  these  arguments,  being  invited  to  go 
to  his  vines,  and  see  the  depredators  in  the  very  acft, 
the  result  justified  my  anticipations.  Though  many 
bees  were  seen  banqueting  on  grapes,  not  one  was 
doing  any  mischief  to  the  sound  fruit.  Grapes  which 
were  bruised  on  the  vines,  or  lying  on  the  ground, 
and  the  moist  stems  from  which  grapes  had  recently 
been  plucked,  were  covered  with  bees ;  while  other 
bees  were  observed  to  alight  upon  bunches,  which, 
when  found  by  careful  inspection  to  be  sound,  they 
left  with  evident  disappointment. 

"  Wasps  and  hornets,  which  secrete  no  wax,  being 
furnished  with  strong,  saw-like  jaws,  for  cutting  the 
woody  fiber  with  which  they  build  their  combs,  can 
easily  penetrate  the  skin  of  the  toughest  fruits  :  while 
the  bees,  therefore,  appeared  to  be  comparatively  in- 
nocent, multitudes  of  these  depredators  were  seen 
helping  themselves  to  the  best  of  the  grapes.  Occa- 
sionally a  bee  would  presume  to  alight  upon  a  bunch 
where  one  of  these  pests  was  operating  for  his  own 
benefit,  when  the  latter  would  turn  and  '  show  fight,' 


BEES   NOT   INJURIOUS   TO    GRAPES.  217 

much  after  the  fashion  of  a  snarling  dog,  molested  by 
another  of  his  species  while  daintily  discussing  his 
own  private  bone. 

"After  the  mischief  has  been  begun  by  other  in- 
sects, or  wherever  a  crack  or  a  spot  of  decay  is  seen, 
the  honey  bee  hastens  to  help  itself,  on  the  principle 
of  <  gathering  up  the  fragments,  that  nothing  may  be 
lost.'  In  this  way,  they  undoubtedly  do  some  mis- 
chief; but  before  war  is  declared  against  them,  let 
every  fruit-grower  inquire  if,  on  the  whole,  they  are 
not  far  more  useful  than  injurious.  As  bees  carry 
on  their  bodies  the  pollen,  or  fertilizing  substance, 
they  aid  most  powerfully  in  the  impregnation  of 
plants,  while  prying  into  the  blossoms  in  search  of 
honey  or  bee-bread.  In  genial  seasons,  fruit  will 
often  set  abundantly,  even  if  no  bees  are  kept  in  its 
vicinity ;  but  many  springs  are  so  unpropitious,  that 
often  during  the  critical  period  of  blossoming,  the 
sun  shines  for  only  a  few  hours,  so  that  those  only 
can  reasonably  expect  a  remunerative  crop  whose 
trees  are  all  murmuring  with  the  pleasant  hum  of 
bees. 

"  A  large  fruit-grower  told  me  that  his  cherries 
were  a  very  uncertain  crop,  a  cold  north-east  storm 
frequently  prevailing  when  they  were  in  blossom ;  he 
had  noticed  that  if  the  sun  shone  only  for  a  couple  of 
hours,  the  bees  secured  him  a  crop. 

"  If  the  horticulturists  who  regard  the  bee  as  an 
enemy,  could  exterminate  the  race,  they  would  .act 
with  as  little  wisdom  as  those  who  attempt  to  banish 
10 


218 


from  their  inhospitable  premises  every  insectiverous 
bird,  which  helps  itself  to  a  small  part  of  the  abund- 
ance it  has  aided  in  producing.  By  making  judicious 
efforts  early  in  the  spring  to  entrap  the  mother-wasps 
and  hornets,  which  alone  survive  the  winter,  an  effect- 
ual blow  may  be  struck  at  some  of  the  worst  pests  of 
the  orchard  and  garden.  In  Europe,  those  engaged 
extensively  in  the  cultivation  of  fruit,  often  pay  a 
small  sum  in  the  spring  for  all  wasps  and  hornets  de- 
stroyed in  their  vicinity."* 

*  Langstroth. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


PROPOLIS. 


CHAPTEE    XIII. 

PEOPOLIS. 


PROPOLIS  is  &  resinous  gum,  gathered  by  the  bees 
from  the  buds  and  leaves  of  trees  and  plants. 

The  principal  time  of  gathering  it  is  during  the 
months  of  July,  August  and  September. 

It  is  used  by  the  bees  to  plaster  the  inside  walls 
of  their  habitation,  and  stop  cracks  or  crevices  in  it 
which  they  cannot  pass  through ;  also,  to  coat  over 
anything  offensive  which  they  cannot  remove  from 
their  hive.  Some  authors  assert  that  it  is  used  to 
strengthen  their  combs ;  this  is  more  fanciful  than 
real;  it  is  true,  there  are  occasionally  some  combs 
found  having  it  on  them,  but  this  is  apparently  acci- 
dental. 

During  some  seasons  there  are  large  quantities  of 
it  gathered,  while  in  others  there  is  but  little. 

Its  accumulation  indicates  a  favorable  season  both 
for  honey  and  swarms,  as  well  as  prosperity  within 
the  hive.  In  the  spring  of  the  year,  bees  will  some- 
times use  for  the  same  purpose  grafting  wax,  varnish, 
and  even  white  lead  (if  free  from  the  spirits  of  tur- 
pentine) from  partially  dried  work.  The  number 
found  carrying  these  substitutes  is,  however,  very 
small,  yet  enough  to  show  that  even  bees  try  experi- 
ments. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

BEES-WAX. 


Uses  of  Wax 226 

How  Wax  is  obtained 227 

Quantity  obtained  from  a  Hive 228 

Wax  an  Article  of  Commerce..  ..228 


CHAPTEK   XIV. 

BEES-WAX. 


BEES-WAX  is  a  solid,  compact,  unctuous  substance, 
usually  of  a  yellow  color. 

"  Bees-wax  may  be  said  to  be  a  concrete  animal 
oil,  holding  the  same  relation  to  the  fixed  oils  that 
resin  does  to  the  essential  oils. 

"  Prime  wax  is  of  a  bright  yellow  color,  and  an 
agreeable  odor,"  which  is  most  perceptible  on  burn- 
ing a  portion  of  it.  The  best  is  procured  from  new 
combs  that  have  never  been  used  for  breeding  pur- 
poses. 

Another  test  by  which  to  judge  the  quality  of 
wax  "  is  to  pass  the  thumb  nail  forcibly  over  its  sur- 
face ;  if  good,  the  nail  will  pass  with  a  kind  of  jerk ; 
but  if  no  obstruction  be  felt,  the  wax  may  be  looked 
upon  as  adulterated  with  suet  or  some  similar  sub- 
stance. 

"  White  wax  is  nothing  more  than  the  yellow  wax 
that  has  been  exposed  in  thin  flakes  or  shreds  to  the 
action  of  the  sun  and  air.  There  is  an  apparatus 


226  BEES-WAX. 

for  melting  and  reducing  the  wax  into  shreds  or  rib- 
bons, but  the  process  of  conversion  under  any  circum- 
stances is  tedious  and  dependent  on  the  weather. 
"  The  following  "  says  Mr.  Parks,  in  his  Chemical 
Essays,  "  is  the  usual  process  as  it  is  conducted  in 
England.  Common  bees-wax  is  melted  upon  hot 
water ;  and  when  in  a  fluid  state  it  is  laded  out  of 
the  copper,  together  with  a  part  of  the  water,  into  a 
wooden  vessel,  and  in  this  it  is  allowed  to  remain  a 
few  hours  for  the  impurities  to  subside  from  it.  The 
purified  wax  is  then  put,  while  still  hot,  into  a  colan- 
der full  of  holes,  through  which  it  runs  and  falls  upon 
a  revolving  metallic  roller,  which  dips  into  cold  water 
contained  in  a  vessel  placed  underneath.  As  the 
melted  wax  runs  through  the  colander  upon  the  re- 
volving roller,  the  motion  of  the  cylinder  forms  it 
into  thin  shavings,  which  cool  as  they  come  in  con- 
tact with  the  water,  and  in  an  accumulated  heap  into 
the  water  below.  These  shavings  of  wax  being  now 
in  a  suitable  form  for  absorbing  oxygen,  are  taken 
out  of  the  tub  and  exposed  in  a  field  to  the  action  of 
the  atmosphere,  till  they  become  sufficiently  white." 


USES  OF  WAX.      ^ 

"  In  some  countries,  bees-wax  is  very  extensively 
employed  in  religious  ceremonies  of  the  inhabitants." 
It  is  also  much  used  in  the  arts.  To  the  nursery- 
man and  orchardist  it  is  invaluable. 

"  The  use  of  wax  in  making  candles,  ointments, 


HOW   WAX  IS   OBTAINED.  227 

etc.,  is  well  known.  The  house-wives  of  this  and 
other  countries  employ  it  to  prevent  bed  ticks  from 
losing  their  feathers ;  they  spread  the  ticking  on  a 
table  and  well  rub  its  inner  surface  with  a  lump  of 
wax ;  to  spread  it  equally,  and  to  cause  it  to  enter 
into  the  tissue  of  the  fabric,  it  is  polished  by  a  vigor- 
ous friction  with  a  ball  of  solid  glass  or  the  bottom  of 
a  bottle. 

According  to  Buffon,  the  bees-wax  of  tropical  cli- 
mates is  too  soft  for  any  but  medicinal  purposes. 
Bevan  gives  the  following 

ANALYSIS   OF   WAX. 

Carbon 81,79. 

Oxygen 5,54. 

Hydrogen 12,67. 


HOW  WAX  IS   OBTAINED. 

The  bees-wax  of  commerce  is  obtained  by  melting 
such  combs  as  are  only  fit  for  that  purpose.  This  is 
done  after  the  honey  has  been  drained  from  them  ; 
the  usual  method  is  as  follows  : 

Have  ready  a  vessel  of  a  size  suited  to  the  quantity 
of  comb  to  be  rendered ;  place  it  over  a  slow  fire ; 
fill  it  about  one-third  full  of  water;  as  soon  as  it 
reaches  the  boiling  point,  drop  in  the  combs  arid  press 
them  down,  and  as  they  melt,  stir  the  mass  till  it  is 
thoroughly  melted ;  a  follower,  to  fit  inside  of  the 
boiling  vessel,  is  made  by  fastening  a  wire  screen  to 
a  ring  or  hoop ;  this  is  to  be  placed  on  the  top  of  the 


228  BEES-WAX. 

melted  combs  and  heavily  weighted  down,  causing 
the  wax  to  rise  to  the  top,  while  the  offal  is  pressed  to 
the  bottom.  A  tub  or  other  vessel,  half  full  of  clear, 
cold  water,  is  to  be  ready,  into  which  the  wax  is  to  be 
removed  with  a  dipper,  as  it  rises  through  the  fol- 
lower. Add  more  water  from  time  to  time,  and  con- 
tinue to  boil  and  stir,  and  lade  out  the  wax  as  long 
as  any  rises.  The  debris  in  the  vessel  may  then  be 
thrown  away  as  useless. 

Remelt  the  wax,  adding  water  as  at  first.  Have 
at  hand  a  deep  dish,  pan,  or  other  vessel ;  grease  the 
bottom  and  sides,  to  cause  the  cake  to  part  freely 
when  cold. 

Strain  the  wax  through  a  fine  wire  screen  or  coarse 
open  cloth,  into*  the  receiving  vessels,  and  then  set 
them  away  till  cold.  When  taken  out,  it  is  fit  for 
market. 

A  press,  suited  to  the  purpose  of  rendering  wax, 
might  be  made,  so  as  to  save  time  and  labor. 


QUANTITY  OBTAINED  FROM  A  HIVE. 

The  quantity  of  wax  obtained  from  diiferent  hives 
varies  ;  a  fair  average,  however,  is  about  two  and  a 
half  pounds  to  a  hive  containing  two  thousand  and 
two  hundred  cubic  inches  in  the  clear. 


WAX  AN  ARTICLE   OF   COMMERCE. 

"  Bees-wax  forms  a  considerable  article  of  com- 
merce. 


WAX  AN  ARTICLE   OF   COMMERCE.  229 

u  The, principal  supplies  are  derived  from  the  Bal- 
tic, the  Levant,  the  Barbary  coast,  and  North  Amer- 
ica. 

"  Humboldt  informs  us  that  upwards  of  eighty  thous- 
and pounds'  worth  is  annually  imported  from  Cuba  to 
New  Spain,  and  that  the  total  export  from  that  island 
in  1803,  was  worth  upwards  of  one  hundred  and  thirty 
thousand  pounds.  Upon  this  subject,  an  English 
writer,  after  lamenting  the  increasing  neglect  of  bee 
culture  in  that  country,  says  :  <  There  is  hardly  bees- 
wax enough  produced  in  England  to  answer  the  de- 
mand for  lip  salve  alone ;  but  importations  from  Amer- 
ica supply  all  our  wants.' 

"  The  demand  for  bees-wax  has  been  constantly  in- 
creasing, while  the  supply  has  been  decreasing — the 
result  is,  that  prices  have  advanced,  with  no  prospect 
that  there  will  ever  be  an  over  supply  of  that  article." 


CHAPTEE    XV. 

SWAKMING. 


Conditions  Requisite  to  Swarming 235 

Natural  Period  of  Swarming 235 

Signs  preceding  First  Swarming 236 

Signs  of  After-Swarming 237 

Preparations  for  Hiving 237 

Description  of  a  Swarm 238 

Hiving  of  Swarms 239 

When  to  Remove  the  Swarm  to  the  Stand 241 

Regulate  the  Number  of  Swarms 242 

.  After-Management , 242 

Periods,  Causes  and  Remedies  of  Deserting 244 

Swarms  Fly  Westward 245 

Swarm  Basket 247 

Swarm  Net..  ..248 


* 


ft  a« 


CHAPTEE    XV. 

SWARMING. 


"  THE  cause  or  causes  which  determine  the  issue 
of  a  swarm  seem  to  be  enveloped  in  obscurity ;  prob- 
ably there  are  none  which  can  be  said  to  determine 
the  point  absolutely.  The  crowded  state  of  the  hives 
in  hot  weather  has  been  generally  considered  as  suffi- 
cient to  account  for  the  issue  of  swarms ;  but  on  the 
one  hand  bees,  as  is  well  known,  will  cluster  out  some- 
times for  weeks  during  the  height  of  summer  without 
swarming  at  all ;  and  on  the  other  hand,  affording 
room  in  whatever  direction  will  not  certainly  prevent 
an  issue,  neither  will  it  always  encourage  comb-build- 
ing. This  latter  will  depend  upon  the  productive- 
ness of  the  gathering  season  ;  for,  if  the  hive  contain 
a  sufficiency  of  cells  for  the  reception  of  eggs,  and 
the  prospect  of  the  honey  harvest  is  not  such  as  will 
require  additional  store-houses,  no  fresh  combs  will 
in  all  probability  be  constructed.  Looking  at  these 
two  well-known  facts,  viz:  the  uncertain  result  of 
clustering,  as  well  as  of  affording  room,  I  was  led 


234  SWARMING. 

to  think,  in  common  with  some  of  my  apiarian  friends, 
that  some  preliminary  steps  were  adopted  by  the  bees 
in  contemplation  of  swarming,  which  determined  the 
point  so  absolutely  that  no  after  proceeding  on  the 
part  of  the  proprietor  could  arrest  its  progress ;  that 
if  this  step  were  not  taken,  neither  a  crowded  popu- 
lation nor  a  high  temperature  would  induce  a  swarm 
to  issue ;  and  that  if  it  were  taken,  no  accommoda- 
tion in  point  of  room  would  prevent  it.  This  theory, 
which,  had  it  been  correct,  would  probably  have  led 
to  important  practical  results,  must  however  be  aban- 
doned, for  subsequent  reflection  and  experience  have 
shown  that  it  is  not  well  founded." 

The  experience  of  Bevan,  which  is  that  of  every 
practical  lee-keeper,  very  forcibly  illustrates  the  un- 
certainty attending  natural  swarm.ing.  The  follow- 
ing experiments  will  in  some  measure  solve  the  mys- 
tery and  illustrate  the  principle. 

Take  a  number  of  acorns,  and  plant  some  in  soil 
having  all  the  elements  necessary  to  induce  germina- 
tion, except  that  of  water ;  let  others  be  planted  with 
this  element  added,  but  at  an  undue  depth;  this 
would  partially  deprive  them  of  air  and  heat ;  others 
again  are  planted  at  midsummer,  in  conditions  that 
would  seem  to  insure  their  growing,  except  that  it  is 
out  of  season ;  while  others  are  planted  so  that  they 
have  the  combined  advantages  of  season,  soil  and 
location ;  the  result  is  that  only  the  latter  planting 
grow,  showing  clearly  that  all  things  are  governed 
by  natural  laws,  which  cannot  be  violated  without 


NATURAL  PERIOD   OF  SWARMING.  235 

failure.  Swarming  is  the  result  of  natural  laws,  but 
it  only  occurs  with  a  favorable  combination  of  those 
laws. 

The  question  might  here  be  asked :  Is  not  the  sys- 
tem of  dividing  bees  a  departure  ?  We  answer  that 
the  transferring  of  a  tree  is  a  departure  from  those 
laws,  but  it  is  done  successfully  if  nature's  laws  are 
properly  observed ;  so  with  that  of  dividing  a  family 
of  bees. 

CONDITIONS  REQUISITE   TO   SWARMING. 

When  the  hive  is  full  of  comb,  with  a  large  pro- 
portion of  it  full  of  brood,  and  all  the  spaces  within 
the  hive  crowded  with  bees,  if  the  pasturage  is  abund- 
ant and  drones  have  made  their  appearance,  swarms 
may  be  expected  at  almost  any  time.  (I  have  in  a 
few  instances  known  them  to  swarm  when  their  hive 
was  not  over  half  full  of  comb  and  bees  in  propor- 
tion.) These,  however,  are  exceptions  to  the  general 
rule.  During  the  summer  of  1858, 1  had  two  swarms 
issue  under  the  above  circumstances,  out  of  one  hund- 
red hives;  but  in  1859,  out  of  four  hundred  colo- 
nies formed,  not  a  single  swarm  issued  in  the  natural 
way,  eithel  from  full  or  partly  filled  hives. 

NATURAL  PERIOD   OF   SWARMING. 

The  natural  period  of  commencing  to  swarm  in 
this  vicinity,  (Sacramento)  is  from  the  first  to  the 
twentieth  of  April ;  but  in  some  very  favorable  local- 


236  SWARMING. 

ities  they  will  occasionally  swarm  earlier.  First 
swarms  usually  send  one  or  more  swarms  during 
the  same  season,  and  instances  have  occurred  where 
still  another  generation  has  appeared. 

The  main  swarming  season  usually  terminates  by 
the  20th  of  July,*  but  where  late  pasture  abounds, 
it  sometimes  continues  later. 


SIGNS    PRECEDING  FIRST-SWARMING. 

For  some  days  before  the  time  of  swarming,  the 
bees  may  be  seen  clustering  at  the  entrance  of  their 
hive  mornings  and  evenings,  at  first  in  small  num- 
bers, and  finally  in  large  clusters.!  A  swarm  may 
now  be  expected  at  any  time,  except  in  the  months 
of  July  and  August,  when  it  is  usual  for  them  to 


=*The  swarming  is  mostly  over  by  the  10th  of  June,  except 
swarms  from  swarms.  As  there  occurs  a  scarcity  of  pasture 
from  this  time  till  the  second  week  in  July,  few,  if  any,  swarms 
will  issue.  About  the  middle  of  July,  the  young  swarms  are  in 
condition  to  swarm,  and  if  any  old  hives  intend  to  do  so  at  a 
second  period,  it  may  now  be  expected. 

tThis  clustering  preparatory  to  swarming  is  mainly  for  the  pur- 
pose of  secretion  of  wax,  of  which  large  quantities* are  immedi- 
ately required  to  construct  combs  as  soon  as  the  bees  become  lo- 
cated in  their  new  habitation. 

If,  during  the  natural  period  of  swarming,  any  hive  that  is 
crowded  with  bees  is  observed  to  remain  clustered  in  a  quiet 
manner,  with  but  few  going  forth  to  labor,  while  those  of  other 
hives  are  working  and  storing  honey  diligently,  it  is  an  indication 
that  it  is  preparing  to  swarm,  and  may  be  expected  to  do  so  at 
any  time. 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  HIVING.        237 

cluster  on  the  outside  of  the  hive  during  the  very 
warm  weather,  jet  it  does  not  indicate  swarming. 


SIGNS   OP  AFTER-SWARMING. 

There  is  but  one  sign  or  indication  of  after-swarm- 
ing that  proves  true  in  a  majority  of  cases,  and  that 
is  "  piping."  On  the  seventh  or  eighth  day  after  the 
first  has  departed,  on  applying  the  ear  to  the  hive, 
the  piping  of  a  young  queen  is  heard,  resembling  the 
sound  of  the  words  pea-pe-pe-pe,  spoken  in  succes- 
sion in  a  pitiful  manner :  sometimes  two,  or  even  three 
may  be  heard  at  a  time.  When  this  piping  is  heard, 
it  is  usual  for  a  hive  to  swarm  in  from  one  to  three 
days. 

PREPARATIONS  FOR  HIVING. 

Hives  should  always  be  in  readiness  and  at  hand 
during  the  swarming  season.  Care  should  be  taken 
to  have  them  clean  and  free  from  any  offensive  smell 
which  may  exist  when  they  have  stood  for  any  length 
of  time  unoccupied;  this  is  best  done  by  scalding 
them  effectually,  which  will  not  only  purify,  but  will 
also  destroy  all  insects  and  eggs  which  may  exist  in 
their  interior. 

A  stool  about  two  feet  square,  and  fifteen  inches 
high,  is  the  most  convenient  thing  to  place  the  hive 
upon  while  gathering  the  swarm  into  it ;  in  the  ab- 
sence of  which,  a  broad  board  or  a  sheet  spread  upon 
the  ground,  will  answer  a  very  good  purpose. 


238  SWARMING. 

A  light  box  or  basket  should  be  in  readiness,  to 
brush  the  bees  into  when  removing  the  swarm  from 
the  place  of  clustering  to  the  hive. 

Have  also  a  wing,  as  the  most  suitable  thing  for 
brushing  the  bees,  either  from  the  tree  or  to  cause 
them  to  enter  the  hive. 

A  pail  of  water  should  also  be  at  hand  to  sprinkle 
them  with,  to  facilitate  their  entering  the  hive  and 
prevent  the  issuing  of  any  other  swarms  while  dis- 
posing of  the  first. 

DESCRIPTION  OF  A   SWARM. 

For  some  time  previous  to  the  departure  of  a 
swarm,  the  bees  cease  their  labors  in  a  great  meas- 
ure;  but  few  are  seen  to 'leave  the  hive,  and  they, 
after  flying  for  a  few  seconds,  return  again,  doubtless 
to  give  intelligence  to  the  organizing  swarm  that  the 
day  is  fine,  and  that  they  can  depart  in  safety.  The 
bees  that  are  clustered  on  the  outside,  remain  tran- 
quil, while  within  an  unusual  movement  is  perceptible  ; 
the  sound  is  changed  from  a  steady  roar,  as  of  a  dis- 
tant water- fall,  to  a  sharp  and  shrill  tone  ;  the  move- 
ments within  become  more  rapid,  till  finally  a  rush  is 
made  from  the  entrance.  THE  BEES  ARE  SWARMING  ! 
Mounting  on  the  wing,  each  bee  describes  a  circle, 
and  circle  redoubled  on  circle,  they  spread,  until 
many  thousands  are  seen  in  the  air.  This  they  con- 
tinue from  five  to  fifteen  minutes,  till  finally  they  col- 
lect together  and  alight  in  a  cluster,  usually  on  the 


PLATE    XXXI. 


FIGURE    56. 


HIVING   OF   SWARMS.  239 

branch  of  a  tree.  (See  plate  xxxi,  fig.  56.)  They 
remain  thus  in  a  body  for  about  one  or  two  hours, 
during  which  time  only  a  few  bees  are  seen  to  depart ; 
these  probably  go  to  seek  out  a  residence  for  the 
swarm  in  the  forest ;  soon  after  the  scouts  return, 
whether  successful  in  their  search  or  not,  the  swarm 
leaves,  in  a  direct  line.  They  doubtless  alight  re- 
peatedly until  a  home  is  found.  Thus,  long  distances 
are  frequently  traversed  by  a  swarm  before  a  perma- 
nent location  is  made. 

Not  unfrequently  swarms,  after  issuing  and  flying 
for  a  few  minutes,  and  sometimes  even  clustering  on 
a  tree,  suddenly  return  to  the  parent  hive  ;  the  cause 
of  which  is,  that  the  queen  has  either  not  left  the  hive 
with  the  swarm,  or  after  she  has  left,  finds  herslf  un- 
able to  continue  her  flight  and  sinks  to  the  earth,  and 
is  lost.  In  the  former  case,  the  swarm  again  issues 
within  one  or  two  days  after  its  return ;  but  in  the 
latter,  not  till  the  ninth  day,  and  is  then  accom- 
panied by  a  young,  unfertile  queen ;  it  being  the 
one  that  would  have  accompanied  an  after  swarm. 
(This  applies  only  to  first  swarms.) 

In  all  cases  where  a  returned  swarm  is  delayed 
nine  days,  as  above,  an  after  swarm  usually  issues 
about  the  third  day  after  the  former  has  finally  left. 

HIVING   OF   SWARMS. 

As  soon  as  the  swarm  is  all  out  of  the  parent  hive, 
open  it  and  take  out  one  of  the  side  combs,  contain- 


240  SWARMING. 

ing  honey ;  brush  off  the  bees,  and  place  it  in  the 
empty  hive  that  is  to  receive  the  swarm,  (this  will 
prevent  their  leaving)  occupying  the  same  position 
in  the  new  hive  that  it  did  in  the  old  one  ;  then  ar- 
range the  hive,  with  the  frames  all  in  place  and  the 
honey-board  on,  to  prevent  the  bees  ascending  ;  raise 
the  front  slide  two  inches  and  open  the  upper  en- 
trance, to  allow  ample  room  for  the  bees  to  enter ; 
the  stool  should  be  set  as  near  the  place  of  alighting 
as  convenient,  and  the  hive,  as  prepared,  set  on  it ; — 
all  is  now  ready  to  hive  the  swarm.  The  prepara- 
tions should  be  made,  as  much  as  possible,  before- 
hand. It  is  well  to  sprinkle  a  little  cold  water  on  the 
cluster,  after  a  part  of  the  swarm  alights,  as  it  serves 
to  tame  the  bees  and  prevents  the  tendency  to  fly 
away.  The  branch  that  they  cluster  on  may  be  cut 
off,  and,  with  its  burthen,  laid  at  the  entrance  of  the 
hive  ;  or,  if  they  are  on  a  valuable  tree,  from  which 
it  is  undesirable  to  cut  a  limb,  take  a  shallow,  light 
box  or  basket,  and  either  shake  or  brush  the  bees 
from  the  limb  into  it,  and  pour  them  out  at  the 
entrance  of  the  hive ;  (this  is  done  when  only  a 
small  part  of  the  bees  have  alighted)  most  of  them 
will  again  take  wing.  Repeat  this  shaking  two  or 
three  times,  or  until  many  bees  are  found  in  the 
hive  and  on  the  stool  in  front  of  it.  The  tree  or 
branch  that  they  alight  on  is  kept  shaking,  and  a 
smoke  is  made,  or  a  cloth  saturated  with  turpentine 
(wormwood  or  other  bitter  herbs  have  the  same  effect) 
is  put  where  the  bees  are  realighting ;  this  drives 


WHEN   TO   REMOVE   THE    S*WARM.  241 

them  away,  and  they  then  enter  the  hive.  The  bees 
that  collect  on  the  stool  and  sides  of  the  hive  should 
be  disturbed  by  brushing  or  sprinkling  water  upon 
them,  to  facilitate  their  entering.  By  following  the 
preceding  directions,  most  of  the  swarm  is  caused  to 
alight  and  enter  the  hive  at  once  ;  so  that  all  are 
fairly  within  by  the  time  they  would  have  settled  on 
the  tree,  thus  saving  fully  one-half  the  time  usually 
spent  to  accomplish  the  object.  Should  the  swarm 
choose  a  place  to  alight  inconvenient  of  access,  such 
as  a  high  tree,  then  resort  must  be  had  either  to  as- 
cending, and  cutting  off  and  lowering  the  limb  to  an 
assistant,  or  to  the  use  of  a  box,  and  light  poles  of 
suitable  length,  on  which  to  attach  it  to  be  elevated ; 
then,  with  a  hook  shake  off  the  bees  within  the  box, 
and  lower  them,  and  hive  as  before.  A  net  might  be 
constructed  to  answer  the  same  purpose. 

When  the  principal  part  of  the  bees  have  entered, 
the  front  slide  is  to  be  lowered,  leaving  half  an  inch 
space,  and  the  upper  aperture  left  partly  open. 
There  will  be  but  few  bees  flying,  none  having  left 
the  hive  as  yet ;  soon,  however,  numbers  of  them 
commence  leaving,  and  after  circling  around,  for  the 
purpose  of  marking  the  location  of  their  new  home, 
depart  to  the  fields  to  labor. 


WHEN   TO   REMOVE   THE   SWARM   TO   THE    STAND. 

As  soon  as  the  swarm  is  hived,  and  before  the  bees 
commence  work,  they  should  be  removed  to  the  stand 
11 


242  SWARMING. 

where  they  are  to  remain  ;  any  bees  that  are  left  fly- 
ing, will  return  to  the  parent  hive — so  that  there  are 
none  lost.  When  the  swarm  is  left  till  night,  as  is 
generally  the  case,  on  the  following  day  hundreds  of 
bees  will  be  seen  hovering  around  where  they  had 
been  hived,  and  had  marked  their  new  home,  as  com- 
pletely as  if  they  had  never  known  any  other. 

The  previous  directions,  if  promptly  followed,  will 
enable  the  bee-keeper  to  complete  the  operation  and 
have  the  hive  on  the  stand  within  thirty  minutes  from 
the  time  the  swarm  begins  to  issue. 

A  swarm  managed  in  this  way,  will  seldom  leave 
for  the  woods  ;  not  having  received  the  report  of  the 
"  committee  on  location"  they  have  no  desire  for  a 
change. 

REGULATE  THE  NUMBER  OF  SWARMS. 

If  only  one  swarm  in  a  season  is  wanted  from  a 
hive,  it  is  to  be  opened  on  the  fifth  or  sixth  day  after 
sending  forth  the  swarm,  and  all  the  queen  cells 
removed  except  one.  Immediately  after  a  second 
swarm  departs,  all  the  queen  cells  but  one  can  be 
destroyed,  to  prevent  a  third.  The  one  left  in  either 
case  is  to  supply  the  parent  hive. 


AFTER-MANAGEMENT. 

Ill  sixteen  days  from  the  first  swarm  leaving,  ex- 
change the  combs  from  which  the  brood  has  emerged 
in  the  parent  hive,  for  new  combs  from  the  first 


AFTER-MANAGEMENT.  243 

swarm,  leaving  all  the  bees  in  their  respective 
hives. 

The  advantages  gained  are  as  follows :  the  old  hive 
has  a  young  queen  that  will  not  be  fertile  for  eight 
days,  and  as  most  of  the  brood  have  emerged  by  this 
time,  the  combs  remain  empty  during  that  period, 
and  much  of  it  frequently  for  weeks,  if  the  bees  have 
swarmed  off  bare. 

Forty  days  will  elapse  before  there  is  any  consid- 
erable accession  of  numbers,  as  the  product  of  the 
young  queen.  This  gives  the  moths  a  chance  to 
gain  a  firm  foothold,  if  not  prevented  by  the  above 
change  or  other  special  care.  The  first  swarm,  hav- 
ing the  old  queen,  the  newly  built  combs  are  supplied 
with  eggs  as  fast  as  built,  and  by  the  sixteenth  day, 
there  is  considerable  sealed  brood.  Two  or  three 
combs  of  the  most  advanced  being  given  to  the  old 
hive,  soon  add  to  their  numbers ;  (these  new  combs 
must  be  handled  carefully,  as  the  least  jar  or  turn 
from  a  perpendicular  position  will  loosen  them  from 
their  fastenings)  the  empty  combs,  being  placed  in 
the  hive  having  the  fertile  queen,  are  soon  replenished 
with  eggs,  which  in  due  time  become  bees — so  that 
both  hives  are  benefitted  by  the  interchange  of  comb. 

A  further  gain  is  had  from  this  practice  :  the  bees 
are  healthier,  and  winter  better  on  old  comb  than 
they  do  on  new.  1  will  again  repeat  the  admonition 
not  to  place  more  brood  in  a  hive  than  there  are  bees 
to  cover  it,  so  as  to  prevent  a  chill. 


244  SWARMING. 

PERIODS,    CAUSE   AND    REMEDY    OF   DESERTING. 

There  are  periods  when  swarms  have  a  propens- 
ity to  desert  their  hives,  even  after  they  have  built 
some  comb  ;  they  also  desert  habitations  of  their  own 
choice  in  like  manner ;  these  periods  occur  but  sel- 
dom, perhaps  only  once  in  two  or  three  years,  and 
only  last  for  one,  two  or  three  days;  the  cause  is 
altogether  unknown  ;  no  writer  that  I  have  consulted 
has  even  noticed  the  fact.  One  of  these  periods 
occurred  about  the  first  of  July,  1851.  I  was  at- 
tending an  apiary  containing  upwards  of  eighty  hives  ; 
during  the  week,  the  number  of  swarms  per  day  was 
from  two  to  four ;  all  were  secured,  and  apparently  did 
well  until  Saturday  morning,  about  half  past  seven 
o'clock,  a  swarm  that  had  been  hived  on  Tuesday 
left  their  hive  with  the  apparent  determination  to  go 
to  the  woods.  With  the  aid  of  an  assistant,  I  suc- 
ceeded, after  much  difficulty,  in  compelling  them  to 
alight,  and  finally  rehived  them,  when  they  were  re- 
stored to  their  stand.  The  indications  were  favora- 
ble for  a  number  of  swarms ;  during  the  day,  pails 
of  water  were  kept  standing  as  was  our  practice, 
for  the  purpose  of  forcing  hives  to  defer  swarming 
when  two  or  more  attempted  to  do  so  at  the  same 
time.  A  short  time  after  the  capture  of  the  fugitive 
swarm  as  above  stated,  another  one,  hived  on  the 
same  day  as  the  first  deserter,  commenced  to  leave 
in  the  same  manner ;  by  the  aid  of  water,  and  clos- 
ing the  hive  for  a  time,  they  were  prevented  from 
leaving.  Six  different  swarms,  hived  that  week,  at- 


SWARMS   FLY   WESTWARD.  245 

tempted  to  leave  in  like  manner.  I  was  then  entirely 
unable  to  discover  the  cause  or  a  remedy.  The  fol- 
lowing finally  occurred  to  my  mind,  and  was  applied 
promptly :  Most  of  the  hives  that  had  sent  off  swarms 
had  the  top  boxes  full  of  honey,  or  nearly  so,  while 
there  were  but  few  bees  in  them.  I  gave  one  of 
these  boxes  to  each  of  the  discontented  swarms,  and 
drove  a  portion  of  the  bees  upward  into  it;  after 
which  but  one  of  them  made  the  attempt  to  leave, 
and  that  had  probably  failed  to  discover  the  stores 
given  them.  There  was  no  more  trouble  ;  most  of  the 
bee-keepers  in  that  section  of  the  country  lost  more 
or  less  swarms  on  that  and  the  following  day.  The 
cause  i  now  believe  was  a  sudden  failure  in  the  secre- 
tion of  honey  in  the  flowers,  as  there  were  but  few 
more  swarms  that  season.  Information  of  the  above 
remedy  was  given  to  neighboring  bee-keepers,  and 
it  has  been  the  means  of  saving  large  numbers  of 
swarms,*  as  in  no  instance  has  the  remedy  been 
known  to  fail. 


SWARMS  FLY   WESTWARD. 

In  the  middle  and  western  States,  (and  doubtless 
elsewhere)  very  nearly  all  the  swarms  seen  depart- 
ing for  the  woods  fly  in  a  westerly  direction ;  this 

^Since  the  above  discovery  was  made  known,  most  of  the  bee- 
keepers in  that  neighborhood  (Lawrence  County,  Pennsylvania) 
practice  supplying  boxes  or  frames  of  honey  to  each  swarm  when 
hived,  particularly  if  the  weather  is  warm  and  dry. 


248  SWARMING. 

thirty-eight  swarms,  in  the  year  1888,  only  one  came 
out  without  being  caught  in  the  basket.'"1 

The  above  plan  having  but  lately  been  brought  to 
my  notice,  I  have  not  had  a  chance  to  try  it.  I  be- 
lieve, however,  that  it  can  be  made  to  answer  the 
following  valuable  purposes : 

FIRST.  The  arresting  and  hiving  of  swarms  with 
but  little  trouble,  or  danger  of  their  departing  for  the 
forest. 

SECOND.  As  the  swarms  are  not  permitted  to  take 
wing,  there  is  no  danger  of  two  or  more  uniting,  as 
is  frequently  the  case  when  a  number  of  hives  exist 
in  the  same  apiary. 

With  the  above  purposes  in  view,  I  have  construct- 
ed what  I  shall  call  a  swarm  net,  which  is  more 
simple  and  easier  of  management  than  the  swarm 
basket,  but  on  the  same  principle. 

SWARM  NET. 

Plate  xxxn,  fig.  57,  represents  a  side  view  of  a 
swarm  net,  as  affixed  to  a  hive  supposed  to  be  swarm- 
ing. 

a  is  the  net,  made  of  white  mosquito  bar,  or  other 
thin,  open  fabric,  sufficiently  close  in  the  mesh  to  re- 
tain the  bees,  yet  not  to  exclude  the  light. 

The  dimensions  of  the  net  are,  six  feet  long  and 
fifteen  inches  in  diameter ;  (the  size  can  be  varied 

*From  the  "  Newest  Illustrated  Bee  Friend,  by  Professor  Mor- 
ris Beyer,  and  J.  F.  O.  Kuehnor."  Published  in  Leipzig,  Ger- 
many, 1852. 


OF  THK 

UNIVERSITY 


SWARM   NET.  249 

to  suit  the  fancy  of  the  user)  b  b  are  sockets,  made 
of  cotton  cloth;  e  c  are  sticks,  seven  feet  long,  in- 
serted through  the  sockets,  and  extending  on  either 
side  of  the  hive,  and  for  the  purpose  of  retaining  the 
net  in  position ;  d  d  are  screws  (two  seen  and  two 
not  seen)  for  the  ends  of  the  sticks  to  rest  on  ;  e,  & 
stick  driven  into  the  ground,  with  a  cross  piece  on  the 
top,  to  support  the  outer  end  of  the  net. 

The  mouth  of  the  net  embraces  the  entrance  pas- 
sages of  the  hive,  and  is  temporarily  fastened  by 
means  of  buttons  //,  whereby  the  bees  are  com- 
pelled to  enter  the  net ;  g  is  an  aperture  in  the  outer 
end  of  the  net,  and  is  to  be  kept  closed  while  the 
swarm  is  being  caught  and  confined,  and  opened  to 
let  them  out  for  hiving,  as  shown  in  plate  xxxin,  fig. 
58,  which  represents  a  hive  with  the  slide  tempora- 
rily removed,  to  afford  the  bees  free  entrance. 

Th.e  net  containing  the  swarm,  is  placed  with  one 
end  on  the  ground,  and  the  other  (with  aperture  g 
open)  resting  against  the  entrance  of  the  hive,  to 
allow  the  bees  to  run  out  of  the  net  into  the  hive. 

In  order  to  use  the  net  successfully,  a  strict  watch 
should  be  kept  over  the  bees,  in  order  to  see  the 
swarm  as  soon  as  it  commences  to  emerge.  The  net 
is  then  to  be  immediately  applied,  and  as  soon  as  the 
swarm  has  entered  it,  remove  the  net ;  tie  the  mouth, 
to  prevent  the  escape  of  the  bees ;  it  may  then  be 
set  away  in  a  shady  place,  to  be  hived  at  leisure. 
Before  opening  the  net,  for  the  migration  of  the  bees 
to  the  hive,  they  should  be  freely  sprinkled  with  cold 
11* 


250  SWARMING. 

water,  which  renders  them  more  docile  and  less  like- 
ly to  take  wing  when  set  at  liberty. 

Mr.  Quinby  says  that  a  Mr.  Laucks,  of  Herkimer 
county,  New  York,  contrived  and  used  a  swarm 
catcher,  which,  from  the  description  given,  is  very 
similar  to  the  swarm  basket  of  Von  Esapo. 

"  He  (Mr.  Laucks)  has  half  a  dozen  of  them,  and 
says  he  would  not  do  without  them  for  one  season,  for 
fifty  dollars."  Mr.  Quinby  constructed  one  on  the 
same  plan,  and  says  that,  in  the  few  trials  he  has 
given  it,  he  succeeded  without  difficulty. 


CHAPTER    XVI 

FORCED  SWARMING. 


How  Effected 253 

When   Successful..  ..?,.  ..254 


CHAPTEK    XYI. 

FORCED  SWARMING.* 


FORCED  swarming  is  the  driving  out  of  a  large 
proportion  of  the  bees  from  the  mother  hive  into  an 
empty  one,  and  allowing  them  to  fill  it  with  new  comb. 


HOW  EFFECTED. 

The  driving  is  done  by  inverting  the  old  hive  and 
setting  an  empty  one,  of  .the  same  size,  on  the  top  of 
it  (as  inverted)  ;  the  lower  hive  is  then  to  be  jarred 
by  striking  the  sides  rapidly  with  light  sticks  for  ten 
or  fifteen  minutes,  which  causes  the  bees  to  ascend 
into  the  top  box,  or  hive.  When  enough  to  compose 
the  swarm  are  out  of  the  old  hive,  it  should  be  placed 
on  the  original  stand  for  a  few  minutes,  to  allow  the 
bees  that  have  returned  from  the  fields  to  enter  it ; 
it  is  then  to  be  placed  on  a  distant  stand,  and  the 
hive  containing  the  forced  swarm  placed  where  the 
old  one  stood ;  they  are  then  given  their  liberty,  and 
are  expected  to  quickly  fill  the  new  habitation,  into 
which  they  are  thus  driven. 

*  The  plan  of  forcing  swarms  was  probably  first  practiced  by 
the  German  apiarists,  and  has  long  been  known. 


254  FORCED    SWARMING. 

WHEN    SUCCESSFUL. 

If  this  forcing  operation  is  performed  when  the 
hive  is  about  to  swarm,  it  will  generally  succeed  ; 
for,  at  this  time,  a  large  proportion  of  the  brood  is 
sealed  up ;  the  hive  being  also  well  stored  with  pro- 
visions, leaves  but  little  work  to  be  done  until  the 
young  queen  enters  upon  her  duties.  By  that  time, 
all  the  brood  (progeny  of  the  previous  queen)  will 
have  emerged,  and  will  be  of  age  to  assume  the  du- 
ties of  nurses,  etc.,  of  the  young  progeny.  The  bees 
composing  the  forced  swarm  being  removed  at  this 
time,  will  be  well  provided  with  wax,  and  if  pastur- 
age is  abundant,  will  thrive  equally  as  well  as  a  nat- 
ural swarm. 

But  where  a  forced  swarm  is  made  from  a  hive  not 
prepared  to  swarm,  and  having  much  unsealed  brood, 
the  success  will  be  very  uncertain,  both  as  regards 
the  old  hive  and  driven  swarm  ;  for  the  young  larvae 
receive,  as  soon  as  hatched,  a  minute  supply  of  food, 
and  as  they  grow,  the  quantity  is  increased  so  as  to 
exactly  supply  their  wants. 

This  food  is  prepared  by  the  nurses,  and  supplied 
at  short  intervals  until  they  are  sealed.  But  if  this 
supply  is  interrupted,  even  for  a  short  time,  the  young 
will  die  from  starvation  ;  or  if  left  without  the  influ- 
ence of  the  hovering  bees,  they  are  very  liable  to 
perish  from  exposure. 

A  further  objection  to  this  plan  is  the  interruption 
and  derangement  of  the  division  of  labor. 

There  is  always  a  limited  number  of  bees  secret- 


HOW    EFFECTED.  255 

ing  wax  in  every  hive  when  breeding,  at  any  season 
of  the  year  ;  (see  Note  on  Signs,  etc.,  Chapter  xv) 
and  as  the  demand  for  wax  with  which  to  seal  over 
the  brood  increases,  so  too  the  supply  is  increased ; 
but  as  it  requires  the  consumption  of  a  large  amount 
of  honey  to  produce  it,  only  an  amount  exactly  corres- 
ponding to  their  immediate  wants  is  ever  produced. 
As  soon,  however,  as  a  surplus  of  honey  is  afforded 
by  the  flowers,  there  is  a  greatly  increased  demand 
for  wax,  with  which  to  repair  their  honey  receptacles, 
seal  them  over  when  full,  and  construct  new  ones. 
Consequently,  increased  numbers  of  bees  devote 
themselves  to  its  production ;  but,  as  it  requires 
probably  from  three  to  six  days  (instead  of  twenty- 
four  hours,  as  is  generally  alleged)  after  a  bee  com- 
mences to  feed,  for  the  purpose  of  secreting  wax,  that 
period  must  elapse  without  an  adequate  supply. 

Now,  if  a  swarm  is  driven  when  only  enough  wax 
is  being  produced  to  seal  the  brood,  the  producers, 
remaining  quiet  within  the  hive,  will  most  likely  be 
driven  out  with  the  swarm ;  thus  leaving  the  parent 
hive  without  an  adequate  supply  at  a  time  when  their 
wants  are  most  pressing. 

-  It  is  true  that  the  driven  swarm  needs  all  the  wax, 
and  more  too,  but  cannot  produce  it  in  sufficient 
quantities  to  meet  their  wants  until  a  certain  period 
of  time  elapses,  and  then  only  by  having  an  abund- 
ance of  food ;  consequently,  they  either  work  to  great 
disadvantage,  or  remain  comparatively  idle  during 
that  time  ;  which  frequently  discourages,  and  causes 
them  to  entirely  abandon  their  hive. 


256  FORCED    SWARMING. 

By  observing  to  have  the  bees  in  the  proper  con-  _ 
dition  for  forcing  swarms,  as  heretofore  shown,  it 
can  be  practiced  with  considerable  advantage  ;  but  I 
would  not  recommend  its  general  use  ;  but  in  its  stead, 
the  formation  of  colonies,  as  directed  in  the  follow- 
ing chapter. 


CHAPTEE   XVII. 

COLONIZING. 


Hives  for  Colonizing 260 

Time  for  Colonizing 260 

Primary  Division 262 

Queen  Nursery 264 

Formation  of  Colonies 267 

After-Management 271 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

COLONIZING. 


COLONIZING,  or  propagating  bees  by  dividing  or 
removing  a  part  of  the  contents  of  one  hive  and 
placing  them  in  another,  (known  as  the  dividing  or 
nuclei  system)  has  long  been  known,  arid  to  some 
extent  practiced,  both  in  Europe  and  the  United 
States.  But  owing  to  the  bad  success  attendant  on 
the  practice,  its  use  has  in  most  cases  been  aban- 
doned, and  forced  swarming  substituted  in  its  stead. 

This  has  been  the  result  of  a  want  of  information, 
there  being  no  well  denned  instruction  given  in  any 
of  the  works  on  bees  with  which  I  am  acquainted, 
either  how  the  thing  should  be  done,  or  the  results  of 
the  different  modes  of  management.  This  indicates 
that  it  has  not  been  well  understood,  even  by  profes- 
sional apiarists. 

In  this  fast  age,  when  men  need  but  to  be  sure 
that  a  certain  thing  has  been  successfully  done,  before 
they  rush  into  it,  without  stopping  to  inquire  how  it 
is  done,  it  is  not  strange  that  failure,  general  failure 


260  COLONIZING. 

is  the  result.  This  fact  has  been  amply  illustrated 
in  every  department  of  business  in  California,  as  well 
as  elsewhere. 

If  the  bee-keeper,  or  person  who  proposes  to  be- 
come such,  will  first  study  the  habits  and  wants  of 
the  bee — in  short,  commence  the  business  as  an  ap- 
prentice should  that  of  any  trade  or  profession, 
determining  to  understand  it — to  such  I  would  rec- 
ommend the  gradual  adoption  of  the  system  of  col- 
onizing in  combination  with  natural  swarming,  as  laid 
down  in  this  work. 


HIVES   FOR   COLONIZING. 

Frame  Hives  being  the  most  suitable  for  the  pur- 
pose of  colonizing,  the  directions  here  given  refer  to 
their  use ;  yet  the  Queen  Nursery  can  be  formed  and 
used  in  any  style  of  hive  with  profit. 


TIME  FOR  COLONIZING. 

The  proper  time  to  commence  colonizing  is  from 
one  to  two  weeks  earlier  than  natural  swarms  leave 
the  parent  hive,  and  to  continue  two  months.*  This 

*  This  is  as  late  as  it  is  safe  to  form  them,  unless  there  is 
abundant  pasturage,  or  feeding  is  resorted  to,  in  which  case  colo- 
nies may  be  formed  to  do  well  as  late  as  the  middle  of  July ;  also, 
the  number  of  colonies  that  should  be  made  from  a  hive  depends 
almost  entirely  on  the  amount  and  continuance  of  pasturage. 
For,  while  in  one  place  an  increase  of  one  or  two  colonies  is  all 
that  can  be  made,  there  are  others  where  from  five  to  eight  can 
be  made,  and  all  do  well. 


tJNIVE 


^H\^X 
TIME   FOR   COLONIZING.  261  '* 


depends  on  the  season,  and  varies  in  different  locali- 
ties ;  the  nearest  approximation  to  the  time  would 
be  from  eight  to  ten  weeks  from  the  time  that  they 
commence  to  carry  in  pollen  from  the  willows  and 
other  sources  of  early  pasturage,  or  as  soon  as  drones 
make  their  appearance  in  considerable  numbers.  In 
Sacramento  and  vicinity  they  commence  to  carry  in 
pollen  about  the  first  of  February  ;  and  the  first 
swarms  for  the  -past  three  years  have  emerged  from 
the  first  to  the  fifteenth  of  April.  In  Oregon  and 
Washington  Territory,  the  commencement  of  the 
swarming  season  is  probably  from  three  to  six  weeks 
later,  while  in  the  latitude  of  Los  Angeles,  California, 
it  is  from  two  to  four  weeks  earlier. 

Suppose  the  owner  of  five  hives  of  bees  finds,  on 
the  twenty-second  day  of  March,  that  his  bees  are 
becoming  crowded  in  the  hives,  and  from  the  favora- 
bleness  of  the  season,  believes  they  would  swarm 
early  in  the  following  month.  Then  let  him  proceed 
to  make  a  primary  divide,*  and  form  a  queen  nursery 
in  the  queenless  division. 


*  One  primary  divide  with  queen  nursery  formed,  can  be  de- 
pended on  to  supply  from  four  to  eight  embryo  queens.  I  have 
had  as  high  as  fourteen  in  one  section,  and  frequently  nine  to 
eleven,  and  as  high  as  twenty  in  a  hive.  The  number  depends 
mainly  on  the  proper  arrangement  of  the  comb,  the  age  of  the 
eggs  and  larvae,  as  well  as  a  numerous  family  of  bees  and  abund- 
ant pasturage. 


'  262  COLONIZING. 

PRIMARY   DIVISION. 

For  this  purpose,  choose  one  of  the  hives  that  is 
strong  and  likely  to  have  the  most  brood.  There 
should  be  at  least  five  sheets  of  comb  containing 
brood  in  the  hive  selected  for  this  purpose. 

If  the  hives  used  have  their  frames  suspended 
from  rabbets  at  the  top,  as  the  Langstroth  hive,  then 
remove  the  cap,  also  the  honey  boxes  and  honey- 
board.  If  the  frames  are  glued  fasl  with  propolis, 
they  are  to  be  pried  loose,  and  moved  each  a  little 
towards  one  side,  in  order  to  make  room  for  taking 
out  the  first  frame.  But  if  the  frames  are  inserted 
from  the  side  and  held  adjusted  by  means  of  tenons 
and  grooves,  as  the  California  hive,  open  the  door 
and  lid,  remove  the  hone"  boxes,  chamber  floor, 
(honey-board)  and  glass  frame.  The  operator  should 
now  stand  with  his  left  side  close  to  the  hive.  The 
front  tenons  of  four  frames  are  first  to  be  raised  out 
of  the  grooves  in  the  front  board ;  then  move  three 
of  them  further  from  the  side  one,  to  give  space  for 
it  to  be  removed  first.  Then  with  the  left  hand  take 
hold  of  the  corner  of  the  frame  resting  against  the 
front  board,  and  with  the  right  hand  the  outer  corner. 
Now  raise  the  left  hand,  carrying  the  frame  upwards 
and  outwards,  moving  on  the  fulcrum,  until  free  from 
its  rest  in  the  sill.  The  movements  should  be  slow 
and  gentle,  yet  no  time  should  be  unnecessarily 
wasted.  Now  place  this  frame  in 'an  empty  hive 
ready  at  hand,  then  take  hold  of  the  second  frame 
in  the  same  manner  as  before  described,  and  turn 


TIME  FOR   COLONIZING.  263 

the  comb  with  the  left  hand  sufficiently  to  keep  it 
from  rubbing  the  bees  and  adjacent  comb,  then  by 
the  upward  and  outward  movement  it  is  freed  from 
its  rest  (without  jar)  the  same  as  the  first  one.  As 
inanjF  others  as  are  necessary  are  removed  in  the 
same  manner,  part  being  placed  in  the  hive  with  the 
previous  one,  and  the  others  are  to  be  stepped  over 
into  the  vacancies  first  formed. 

As  each  comb  is  removed,  it  should  be  examined 
to  find  the  queen  ;  if  not  found  by  looking  them  once 
over,  spread  a  sheet  on  the  ground  and  take  the 
combs  one  by  one,  and  with  a  quick  motion  shake 
the  bees  on  it.  (In  handling  combs,  care  should  be 
taken  to  keep  them  with  one  edge  upright  to  prevent 
breaking.)  The  queen  will  most  likely  be  found  in 
the  cluster  on  the  sheet ;  sometimes  she  crawls  off 
the  combs  and  is  found  on  the  inside  of  the  hive.* 
When  found,  place  her  in  the  new  hive ;  then  examine 
the  combs,  choose  one-half  of  the  most  mature  brood 
combs  and  place  them  in  the  hive  with  the  queen. 


*  Sometimes  it  is  difficult  or  requires  too  much  time  to  find  the 
queen  among  so  large  a  mass  of  bees  as  should  occupy  a  hive 
suitable  for  a  primary  division,  in  which  case  divide  the  combs  so 
that  about  half  of  the  brood  as  well  as  half  of  the  bees  are  given 
to  each  hive.  (Regard  should  also  be  had  to  a  division  of  stores.) 
However,  before  adjusting  the  combs  to  their  places,  sections  of 
combs  should  be  arranged  in  each  hive,  as  directed  in  page  264. 
This  is  necessary,  as  it  is  not  known  which  hive  the  queen  is  in. 
The  one  she  is  in  will  not  build  any  queen  cells,  while  the  other 
one  will.  Hence,  on  opening  either  hive  after  three  days  have 
elapsed,  her  whereabouts  is  readily  determined. 


264  COLONIZING. 

One  sheet  of  comb  containing  stores  should  be  placed 
first  at  the  side,  and  the  brood  placed  compactly  ad- 
joining. The  empty  frames  are  added,  and  the  hive 
is  ready  to  receive  its  share  of  the  bees. 

The  other  half  of  the  brood  combs,  in  which  are 
principally  eggs  and  young  larvae,  together  with  the 
remainder  of  the  store  combs,  are  to  occupy  the  orig- 
inal hive  after  the  vertical  queen  nursery  is  formed, 
as  follows. 

QUEEN   NURSERY. 

« 

Take  a  eesabraewly  built*  and  choose -that  portion 
of  it  in  which  eggs  and  a  small  portion  of  newly 
hatched  larvae  are  found,  and  with  a  knife  cut  out 
from  the  central  portion  of  one  or  two  sections,  as 
shown  in  plate  xxxiv,  fig.  59. 

h  is  one  of  the  sections  which  is  cut  three  inches 
long  and  seven-eighths  of  an  inch  deep.  The  ends 

*  As  it  is  sometimes  difficult  to  find  a  newly  built  comb  suffi- 
ciently large  for  turning  the  section  in  the  same,  it  answers  equally 
well  to  cut  the  apertures  in  old  comb  and  insert  sections  of  new 
built  comb  containing  eggs  taken  from  any  other  hive.  In  the 
spring  of  the  year  it  would  be  necessary,  in  order  to  get  new  comb, 
to  remove  a  sheet  of  the  old,  or  a  portion  thereof,  from  the  center 
of  the  hive,  about  ten  days  before  making  the  primary  division  ; 
this  would  give  the  bees  room  to  build,  which  they  would  do, 
provided  they  were  strong  and  the  pasturage  good.  The  reason 
why  new  comb  is  best  for  rearing  queens  in  is,  the  absence  of 
cocoons,  on  which  account  the  bees  build  a  much  larger  number 
than  they  do  when  compelled  to  use  the  cells  containing  cocoons. 
Eggs  laid  by  a  queen  one  year  old  are  better  for  rearing  queens 
from  than  those  laid  by  one  bred  the  same  year. 


PLATE   XXXIV 


FIGURE  59. 


OF   THK 

UNIVERSITY 


QUEEN   NURSERY.  265 

are  cut  square ;  then,  three-eighths  of  an  inch  from 
either  end,  cut  down  three-fourths  of  an  inch,  and 
take  out  the  piece,  leaving  a  shoulder  three-eighths 
broad  on  either  end  for  the  section  or  nursery  to  rest 
upon.  This  being  placed  with  the  mouths  of  the 
cells  downwards  or  vertically,  as  shown  in  the  figure, 
leaving  a  space,  as  shown  at  i,  which  gives  room  for 
developing  queens  in  a  perfectly  straight  and  natural 
position,  two  combs  should  be  so  prepared ;  then  a 
store  comb  is  first  placed  at  one  side  of  the  hive  and 
the  combs,  prepared  as  above,  placed  next  to  it,  and 
the  balance  of  the  brood,  and  then  the  store  combs 
next  to  these,  in  a  compact  manner ;  an  empty  frame 
is  added,  and  the  whole  covered  with  a  cloth  which 
reaches  over  the  top  and  down  the  sides  to  the  bot- 
tom board. 

The  bees  are  now  to  be  equally  divided  between 
the  two  hives,  and  the  glass  frame  and  honey-board 
put  to  their  place,  and  the  hives  closed  up  and  the 
apertures  arranged  for  the  egress  and  ingress  of  the 
bees.  The  hives  are  then  to  be  placed  within  a  few 
inches  of  each  other ;  the  one  on  the  right  and  the 
other  on  the  left  of  where  the  original  one  stood. 

This  primary  divide  is  best  performed  in  the  eve- 
ning, about  one  hour  before  sundown,  yet  it  will  do 
at  any  time  of  day.  They  should  be  watched  for 
the  first  few  hours  that  they  fly,  to  see  that  a  proper 
proportion  of  them  enters  each  hive.  If  more  are 
found  to  enter  one  than  the  other,  move  the  one  that 
most  enter  further  away,  and  the  other  nearer  to  the 
12 


266  COLONIZING. 

place  where  the  original  hive  stood  ;  if  this  still  does 
not  effect  the  object,  close  the  entrance  of  the  strong 
one  for  about  two  hours,  and  force  the  remaining  bees 
to  enter  the  weak  one.  When  the  apertures  are 
again  opened,  a  board  or  cloth  may  be  placed  so  as 
to  change  the  appearance  of  the  one  receiving  more 
than  its  share  of  bees. 

The  bees  now  finding  themselves  without  a  queen, 
but  in  possession  of  the  means  to  rear  young  ones, 
quickly  commence  to  enlarge  and  build  downwards  a 
number  of  the  cells  containing  eggs;  at  the  same 
time,  the  young  larvae  are  supplied  with  a  quantity 
of  whitish  matter,  called  royal  jelly,  which  is  of  a 
slightly  acid,  pungent  taste,  and  is  different  from  the 
food  on  which  the  common  brood  are  fed.  These 
royal  cells  will  be  sealed,  a  part  of  them  on  the  sixth, 
and  the  balance  on  the  seventh  day  from  the  time  of 
forming  the  nursery.  When  the  cells  are  finished, 
they  present  the  appearance  shown  in  plate  xxxv, 
fig.  60  ;  j9  queen  cells,  and  Jc,  worker  brood  emerging. 

The  queen  cells  are  straight  and  occupying  a  pend- 
ent position,  the  queens  are  larger  and  more  perfectly 
developed,  and  a  greater  number  are  reared  by  this 
method  than  when  the  bees  are  left  to  rear  them,  as 
shown  in  plate  xxxvi,  fig.  61 ;  s  represents  queen 
cells  being  built  outwards  and  downwards,  so  that 
the  queens  grow  in  a  curved  position ;  this  being  an 
unnatural  shape,  the  queen  is  not  as  large  or  well 
developed  as  when  raised  in  straight  cells,  as  pre- 
viously shown. 


PLATE    XXXV. 


FIGURE  60, 


PLATE  XXXVI, 


FIGURE  62. 


FORMATION    OF    COLONIES.  267 

When  queen  cells  are  built  on  the  edge  of  a  comb, 
as  shown  in  fig.  62,  they  frequently  suffer  from  cold, 
which  retards,  and  in  many  cases  entirely  destroys 
them.  This  danger  is  avoided  by  the  vertical  nursery 
being  arranged  so  that  it  occupies  the  center  of  the 
cluster  of  the  bees,  by  which  means  a  chill  is  avoided. 

The  bees  seldom,  if  ever,  remove  an  egg  from  one 
cell  to  another  for  the  purpose  of  development ;  hence 
it  is  obvious  that  they  are  seldom  in  a  position  suita- 
ble for  straight  cells,  unless  so  arranged  by  the  bee- 
keeper. This  plan  is  also  found  to  produce  more  and 
as  perfectly  developed  queens  as  if  raised  to  supply 
natural  swarms. 

Date  the  hive  containing  the  queen  nursery  with 
the  day  it  was  formed,  in  a  conspicuous  manner,  and 
in  ten  days  from  this  time  the  most  advanced  of  the 
embryo  queens  are  sufficiently  mature  to  be  used  in 
colonies  then  to  be  formed,  or  given  to  hives  supposed 
to  be  queenless.  The  less  advanced  ones  can  be 
used  on  the  eleventh  day.  But  it  is  not  safe  to  let 
them  remain  for  a  longer  period,  as  the  first  queen 
out  destroys  the  remaining  ones.  See  plate  xxxvn, 
fig.  63  ;  ft,  cell  from  whence  a  queen  has  emerged ; 
o,  cells  destroyed  by  her. 

FORMATION   OF   COLONIES. 

When  the  queen  cells  are  sufficiently  advanced, 
which  is  on  the  tenth  day,  proceed  to  form  colonies 
as  follows : 


268  COLONIZING. 

First  select  a  full  and  strong  hive,  having  a  large 
amount  of  brood  in  all  stages,  from  which  to  take  a 
colony.  Open  the  hive  thus  selected,  and  remove 
the  combs  in  the  same  manner  as  directed  for  the 
primary  division. 

We  will  suppose  the  frames  numbered  from  one 
to  nine,  inclusive.  Ah  empty  hive  being  ready  at 
hand  in  which  to  form  the  colony,*  proceed  to  take 
out  the  frames  from  the  full  hive,  commencing  at 
No.  1 ;  being  found  full  of  stores,  it  is  to  be  placed 
on  the  top  of  the  remaining  frames,  or  otherwise  dis- 
posed of.  No.  2,  being  also  found  full  of  stores,  is 
to  be  placed  in  the  empty  hive.  No.  3,  or  any 
other  comb  found  to  contain  a  large  amount  of  ma- 
ture brood,  should  be  chosen  and  placed  in  the  hive 
along  with  No.  2.  No.  4  should  contain  eggs  and 
brood  in  all  stages. 

A  queen  cell  (fig.  64)  having  been  taken  from  the 
nursery,  make  an  aperture  with  a  knife  in  the  cen- 
ter of  comb  No.  4,  and  insert  the  queen  cell.  See 
plate  xxxvni,  fig.  65,  which  represents  a  section  of 
the  comb  together  with  the  queen  cell,  after  having 
remained  in  the  colony  two  days.  At  M  is  seen  the 
foundation  of  a  new  queen  cell  containing  larvae. 

*The  hives  should  be  cool  at  the  time  the  colonies  are  placed 
in  them,  and  particular  care  taken  to  shield  them  from  the  rays 
of  the  sun  until  they  have  their  liberty.  In  fact,  the  sun  should 
be  excluded  from  the  hives  entirely,  when  the  temperature  is 
above  seventy-five  degrees.  In  early  spring  and  at  times  when  a 
low  temperature  prevails,  it  is  best  to  let  the  sun  shine  directly  on 
the  hives,  which  will  give  greater  vitality  and  assist  in  developing 
the  brood. 


PLATE    XXXVII. 


FIGURE    63, 


FIGURE   64. 


PLATE  XXXVIII. 


FIGURE  65. 


OF  THE 

TJNIVERSITY 


PLATE  XXXIX. 


FIGURE  b6. 


FORMATION  OF  COLONIES.         269 

The  bees,  on  finding  themselves  queenless,  and  not 
content  with  one  chance,  almost  invariably  commence 
the  construction  of  one  or  more  additional  cells,  and 
rearing  of  young  in  them,  and  continue  to  nourish 
and  protect  them  until  the  emerging  of  the  supplied 
embryo  queen ;  and  in  case  the  latter  fails,  then  the 
new-built  cell  may  be  relied  on  to  produce  a  queen. 

Care  should  be  taken  in  handling  queen  cells  not 
to  jar  or  dent  them  ;  also,  not  to  expose  them  to  cold, 
and  they  should  be  so  arranged  as  not  to  come  in 
contact  with  the  adjoining  comb. 

Let  the  bees  remain  clustered  on  the  combs,  but 
if  they  are  in  the  way  of  inserting  the  queen  cell, 
brush  them  gently  with  a  quill  out  of  the  way. 
Watch  carefully  for  the  queen,  and  if  found,  return 
her  to  the  hive  whence  she  was  taken. 

In  arranging  the  combs  in  the  new  hive,  the  fol- 
lowing order  should  be  observed :  first  place  No.  3 
at  one  side  of  the  hive,  No.  4  containing  the  queen 
cell  next  to  No.  3,  No.  2  next  to  No.  4,  and  add  an 
empty  frame.  There  being  three  combs  taken  out 
of  the  parent  hive,  (plate  xxxix,  fig.  66)  there 
should  also  be  one-third  of  the  bees  taken  to  com- 
pose the  colony. 

After  having  arranged  the  combs  and  divided  the 
bees  as  above,  the  colony  is  to  be  covered  with  a  cloth, 
as  represented  in  plate  XL,  fig.  67.  The  hive  should 
then  be  closed,  and  tfye  apertures  shut,  to  prevent  the 
escape  of  the  bees.  The  ventilators  are  then  opened 
and  the  hive  set  in  a  cool  and  shaded  place  till  even- 


270  COLONIZING. 

ing,  when  it  is  to  be  moved  to  a  distance  of  one  mile 
or  more,  when  the  apertures  for  the  bees'  entrance 
are  to  be  opened,  giving  them  their  liberty. 

The  vacancy  in  the  old  hive  is  filled  with  empty 
frames  and  then  closed  up,  except  the  place  for 
egress.  If  it  is  intended  that  the  colony  shall  re- 
main in  the  apiary  where  formed,  instead  of  remov- 
ing it  to  a  distance,  it  is  to  be  formed  the  same  as 
above,  except  that  both  combs  should  contain  mature 
brood  instead  of  eggs  and  larvae;  the  queen  cell 
should  be  inserted  in  the  center  of  the  comb  where 
a  portion  of  the  brood  have  emerged,  as  shown  in 
plate  XLI,  fig.  68.  The  young  bees  are  also  to  be 
separated  from  the  old  ones.*  This  is  done  by  shak- 
ing them  from  the  combs  on  a  sheet ;  the  old  ones  take 
wing  and  return  to  the  parent  hive,  while  the  young 
ones  remain  on  the  sheet.  One-third  of  the  bees 
should  remain,  and  be  put  in  the  new  hive  having 
the  combs  as  previously  arranged ;  before  putting  the 
bees  in  the  hive,  they  are  to  be  examined  to  find  if 
the  queen  is  among  them,  and  if  found,  return  her 
to  the  hive  from  which  she  was  taken. 


*During  the  season  of  rapid  breeding,  which  is  in  the  spring 
and  early  summer,  bees  that  are  in  a  thrifty  condition  and  have 
a  fertile  queen,  usually  occupy  a  large  proportion  of  their  combs 
with  a  generation  of  brood  of  nearly  the  same  age.  Hence,  when 
they  emerge,  the  hive  is  in  a  fit  condition  to  form  colonies  from 
as  above ;  while  if  delayed  a  few  days  later,  these  young  bees  will 
have  marked  the  position  of  their  home1;  consequently,  if  they  are 
afterwards  taken  to  form  colonies,  and  left  in  the  same  apiary,  they 
will,  upon  taking  wing,  return  to  the  familiar  spot. 


PLATE  XL. 


FIGURE  67. 


PLATE  XLI. 


FIGURE  68. 


OF  THB 

TJNIVERSITY 


AFTER-MANAGEMENT.  271 

AFTER-MANAGEMENT. 

The  hive  containing  the  colony  is  then  to  be  closed 
up,  and  with  the  ventilators  open,  set  in  a  cool  place 
as  above  directed.  As  soon  as  it  is  dark  it  should 
be  set  on  the  stand,  and  the  apertures  opened  for  the 
working  of  the  bees.  Do  not  open  the  door  or  re- 
move the  frames  for  the  first  six  days,  for  if  done, 
many  of  the  bees  will  take  wing  and  return  to  the 
parent  hive.  By  this  time  the  queen  and  most  of 
the  brood  have  emerged  from  the  cells.  The  hive  is 
then  to  be  opened  and  all  the  bees  are  to  be  shaken 
or  brushed  from  the  two  brood  combs,  which  are  now 
nearly  empty.  If  many  bees  are  found,  proceed  as 
follows :  open  any  strong  hive  and  choose  two  or  three 
combs  (according  to  the  strength  of  the  colony  they 
are  to  be  placed  in)  having  eggs  and  young  brood. 
All  the  bees  are  to  be  gently  brushed  from  the  combs 
with  a  wing  or  quill.  Then  after  one  comb  contain- 
ing ample  stores  is  placed  in  one  side  of  the  hive  con- 
taining the  colony,  the  former  are  to  be  placed  ad- 
joining with  two  empty  frames  added,  and  the  whole 
covered  with  a  cloth  and  the  hive  closed,  except  the 
apertures  for  egress  and  ingress. 

The  two  combs  taken  from  the  colony  are  put  in 
the  hive  in  exchange  for  the  brood  combs  removed.* 

*The  objects  of  interchanging  combs  are  1st,  to  strengthen  the 
colony.  2d.  If  the  embryo  queen  supplied  has  failed  to  emerge, 
or  is  afterwards  lost,  it  gives  the  bees  the  means  of  rearing  another. 
3d.  The  combs  which  would  otherwise  remain  empty  for  a  period 
of  ten  days,  are  immediately  replenished  with  eggs,  making  a  dif- 


272  COLONIZING. 

But  if  the  colony  is  found  to  be  weak,  choose  two 
combs  with  mature  brood  instead  of  eggs  and  young 
brood.  From  six  to  ten  days  after  this  last  change, 
the  colony  will  be  found  to  have  a  fertile  queen, f  or 
if  the  first  embryo  queen  has  failed,  sealed  queens 
will  be  found  in  the  combs.  If  found  to  have  a  fer- 
tile queen,  the  organization  is  complete,  and  all  that 
is  wanted  afterwards  is  to  add  empty  frames  or  suit- 
able combs,  and  see  that  the  combs  are  built  straight. 
Colonies  formed  and  left  in  the  same  apiary  do  not 
work  much  for  the  first  week ;  this  is  owing  to  the 
fact  that  the  bees  are  too  young  to  go  forth  to  labor 
in  the  fields.  As  there  is  but  little  labor  to  be  per- 
formed in  the  hive,  all  that  is  wanted  is  to  maintain 
the  animal  heat  to  develop  the  brood.  On  the  sixth 
day,  when  the  combs  are  exchanged  as  directed,  they 
will  have  commenced  work.  Receiving  young  brood 
at  this  time  stimulates  them,  and  gives  them  profita- 
ble employment.  And  having  a  young  queen,  before 
they  commence  comb  building,  (which  they  do  about 
this  time)  they  build  worker  cells,  most  of  which  are 
supplied  with  eggs  as  soon  as  the  queen  becomes  fer- 
tile. 


ference  of  half  a  generation's  increase.  And  still  another  advan- 
tage gained  by  interchanging,  is  the  keeping  the  bees  in  the  col- 
ony as  profitably  employed  in  maturing  the  brood  as  if  they  were 
in  possession  of  a  fertile  queen. 

fTwenty-three  days  (counting  from  the  time  the  egg  is  laid)  is 
the  shortest  time,  and  thirty  is  the  extreme  limit  for  a  queen  to 
become  fertile. 


AFTER-MANAGEMENT.  273 

The  hive  containing  the  queen  nursery,  having  a 
large  amount  of  mature  workers,  will  build  drone 
comb  during  the  time  they  are  queenless ;  but  as  soon 
as  a  queen  emerges  they  change  and  build  worker 
comb,  at  which  time  the  drone  comb  should  be  re- 
moved. But  the  hive  having  the  old  queen  con- 
tinue their  labors  with  increased  vigor,  and  fill  up 
the  vacancy  mostly  with  worker  comb,  using  it  both 
for  breeding  and  laying  up  stores. 

The  advantages  gained  by  moving  colonies  to  a 
distance  as  previously  directed,  are  these  : 

FIRST.  It  saves  time  to  the  bee-keeper,  there  be- 
ing no  need  of  separating  the  young  bees  from  the 
old,  being  moved  such  a  distance  as  to  prevent  their 
returning  to  the  parent  hive,  which  many  of  them  do 
when  left  in  the  same  apiary. 

SECOND.  The  colonies  can  be  placed  some  distance 
apart,  obviating  the  danger  of  the  young  queen  en- 
tering the  wrong  hive,  as  is  frequently  the  case  when 
packed  closely  on  the  stands.  When  the  queens 
become  fertile,  these  colonies  may  be  returned  to  the 
original  apiary,  and  placed  in  compact  order  without 
serious  disadvantage.  When  formed  as  described 
above,  it  is  safe  to  remove  colonies  a  distance  of  from 
one  to  ten  miles  in  a  spring  wagon,  if  deferred  until 
the  cool  of  the  evening  or  morning. 

The  hive  containing  the  queen  nursery ',  having  a 

large  amount  of  bees,  is  suitable  to  divide  on  the 

tenth  day  from  its  formation.     The  combs  from  which 

the  brood  has  emerged  should  be  changed  for  combs 

12* 


274  COLONIZING. 

having  young  brood.  But  no  more  should  be  placed 
in  any  hive  than  there  are  bees  to  cover,  so  as  to  pre- 
vent a  chill.  Divide  equally,  giving  a  royal  cell  to 
each.  The  hives'  are  to  be  properly  arranged,  to  allow 
egress  and  ingress,  and  placed  near  each  other,  one 
on  the  right  and  the  other  on  the  left  of  the  orig- 
inal position  ;  these  subdivisions  are  to  be  treated  in 
the  same  manner  as  directed  for  other  colonies. 

All  colonies  having  young  queens  about  to  emerge 
and  standing  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  other  hives, 
should  be  conspicuously  marked,  to  enable  the  young 
queen  to  regain  her  own  home  on  returning  from  her 
serial  amorous  excursions.  This  takes  place  within 
from  seven  to  ten  days  from  her  birth.  The  mark- 
ing is  best  done  by  placing  a  board,  one  end  resting 
on  the  place  of  alighting  and  the  other  on  the  ground 
in  a  slanting  position.  .When  a  number  of  colonies 
are  to  be  thus  marked,  let  the  boards  be  of  different 
colors.  Cloth  can  be  used  to  good  advantage  to  al- 
ternate. 

As  soon  as  the  queens  are  fertile,  let  these  marks 
be  removed ;  this  will  show  at  a  glance  if  any  remain 
unfruitful. 

To  build  up  weak  colonies  at  any  time,  take  a  sheet 
of  mature  brood  from 'any  hive  that  is  full,  and  give 
to  them;  being  sure  to  have  all  hives  full  of  comb 
and  stores  at  the  close  of  the  season. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

COMB. 


Combs  should  be  Built  Straight 279 

Condition  of  the  Comb  important 281 

How  to  Detect  Half-Melt  and  Comb  Rot 284 

Damaged  Combs  to  be  Removed 285 


CHAPTER  XYIII. 

COMB. 


"  THE  combs  of  a  bee-hive,"  says  Bevan,  "  com- 
prise a  congeries  of  hexagonal  cells,  formed  by  the 
bees  as  a  receptacle  for  honey  or  embryo  bees.  A 
honey-comb  is  allowed  to  be  one  of  the  most  striking 
achievements  of  insect  industry,  and  an  admirable 
specimen  of  insect  architecture.  It  has  attracted 
•the  admiration  of  the  contemplative  philosopher  in 
all  ages,  and  awakened  speculation  not  only  in  the 
naturalist,  but  also  in  the  mathematician  ;  so  regular, 
so  perfect  is  the  structure  of  the  cells,  that  it  satisfies 
every  condition  of  a  refined  problem  in  geometry. 

"Each  comb  in  a  hive  is  composed  of  two  cells, 
backed  against  each  other;  these  cells,  looking  at 
them  as  a  whole,  may  be  said  to  have  one  common 
base,  though  no  one  cell  is  opposed  directly  to  an- 
other. This  base,  or  partition  between  the  double 
row  of  cells,  is  so  disposed  as  to  form  a  pyramidal 
cavity  at  the  bottom  of  each  cell,  as  will  be  explained 
presently.  The  mouths  of  the  cells,  thus  ranged  on 
each  side  of  a  comb,  open  into  two  parallel  streets ; 
(there  being  a  continued  series  of  combs  in  every 


278  COMB. 

well  filled  hive)  these  streets  are  sufficiently  con- 
tracted to  avoid  waste  of  room  and  to  preserve  a 
proper  warmth,  yet  wide  enough  to  allow  the  passage 
of  two  bees  back  to  back." 

The  width  of  the  streets  is  greater  adjacent  to 
the  brood  combs  than  to  the  store,  being  almost  half 
an  inch  between  the  former,  while  less  than  a  third 
between  the  latter  ;  the  bees  are  thereby  enabled  to 
hover  their  brood,  as  well  as  to  cluster  together  in 
sufficient  masses  to  keep  themselves  warm  during  the 
cold  weather ;  besides  having  access  to  their  stores 
at  all  times. 

"  There  are  only  three  possible  figures  of  the  cells," 
says  Dr.  Reid,  "  which  can  make  them  all  equal  and 
similar,  without  any  useless  interstices.  These  are 
the  equilateral  triangle,  the  square,  and  the  regular 
hexagon.  It  is  well  known  to  mathematicians  that 
there  is  not  a  fourth  way  possible,  in  which  a  plane 
may  be  cut  into  little  spaces  that  shall  be  equal,  sim- 
ilar and  regular,  without  leaving  any  interstices.  Of 
these  three  geometrical  figures,  the  hexagon  most 
completely  unites  the  prime  requisites  for  insect  archi- 
tecture. The  truth  of  this  proposition  was  perceived 
by  Pappus,  an  eminent  Greek  philosopher  and  math- 
ematician, who  lived  at  Alexandria,  in  the  reign  of 
Theodosius  the  Great,  and  its  adoption  by  bees  in  the 
construction  of  honey-combs  was  noticed  by  that  an- 
cient geometrician.  These  requisites  are  : 

"  FIRST.  Economy  of  material.-  There  are  no  use- 
less partitions  in  a  honey  comb ;  each  of  the  six  lat- 


COMBS  SHOULD  BE  BUILT  STRAIGHT.    279 

eral  panels  of  one  cell  forms,  also,  one  of  the  panels 
of  an  adjoining  cell ;  and  of  the  three  rhombs  which 
form  the  pyramidal  base  of  a  cell,  each  contributes 
one-third  towards  the  formation  of  the  bases  of  three 
opposing  cells,  the  bottom  or  center  of  every  cell  rest- 
ing against  the  point  of  union  of  three  panels,  that 
are  at  the  back  of  it. 

"  SECOND.  ifconomy  of  room  ;  no  interstices  being 
left  between  adjoining  cells. 

"  THIRD.  The  greatest  possible  capacity  or  inter- 
nal space,  consistent  with  the  two  former  desiderata. 

"  FOURTH.  Economy  of  material  and  economy  of 
room,  produce  economy  of  labor.  And  in  addition  to 
these  advantages,  the  cells  are  constructed  in  the 
strongest  manner  possible,  considering  the  quantity 
of  material  employed.  Both  the  sides  and  bases  are 
so  exquisitely  thin,  that  it  has  been  calculated  that 
three  or  four,  placed  on  each  other,  are  not  thicker 
than  a  leaf  of  common  writing  paper ;  each  cell  sep- 
arately weak,  is  strengthened  by  its  coincidence  with 
other  cells." 

The  wax  of  which  the  combs  arc  constructed  is 
elaborated  by  the  worker  bee.  (See  Chapter  in.) 

COMBS  SHOULD  BE  BUILT  STRAIGHT. 

Whenever  bees  are  building  comb,  it  is  important 
to  notice,  at  short  intervals,  whether  they  are  making 
it  straight.  If  found  to  deviate,  proceed  as  follows: 
If  slight,  take  a  knife  with  a  broad  blade,  and  press 


280  COMB. 

the  edge  of  the  comb  to  the  proper  place,  commenc- 
ing at  the  end  furthest  advanced,  and  pressing  each 
towards  it,  so  that  the  centers  of  the  comb  corres- 
pond with  the  center  of  the  frame  ;  this  can  usually 
be  done  by  taking  out  the  sash  and  honey-board. 
When  the  object  cannot  be  accomplished  fully  in  this 
way,  lift  out  the  frames,  and  after  straightening  each 
comb,  place  a  store  comb  at  the  opposite  side,  and 
then  place  the  newly  built  ones  next;  this  places 
the  projections  in  contact,  one  against  another,  which 
will  cause  the  bees  to  cut  away  passages,  and  thus 
make  even  comb.  If  the  new  comb  contains  brood, 
as  well  as  the  old,  then  they  may  be  alternated ;  but 
if  the  new  comb  contains  honey  only,  then  alternate 
with  sealed  honey  comb.  Care  must  always  be  taken 
to  keep  the  brood  compact,  unless  the  amount  of  bees 
is  large ;  in  which  case,  one  or  two  empty  frames 
may  alternate.  Store  combs  and  drone  combs  should 
be  moved  to  the  sides.  In  changing  the  combs,  it  is 
desirable  to  present  a  straight  surface — a  sealed  one 
to  be  preferred ;  the  new  one,  being  built  parallel  to 
it,  will  be  straight.  If  the  space  in  the  hive  is  such 
that  the  combs  are  again  made  to  diverge,  then  place 
them  to  the  opposite  side,  as  before.  A  little  timely 
attention  to  this  particular  will  ensure  combs  suffi- 
ciently straight  for  all  practical  purposes.* 

*  Some  bee-keepers  recommend  what  they  erroneously  call 
"  comb  guides."  (A  comb  guide  proper  is  a  sharp  edge  or  corner 
in  the  frame,  from  which  the  comb  is  to  depend,  the  bees  usually 
choosing  to  follow  this  edge,  rather  than  diverge  to  an  even 


CONDITION  OF  THE  COMB  IMPORTANT.   281 
CONDITION  OF  THE  COMB  IMPORTANT. 

Comb  is  the  honey  bee's  furniture,  and  like  all  else 
that  is  perishable,  will  endure  a  longer  or  shorter 
period  in  proportion  to  the  care  taken  of  it.  If  kept 
in  good  condition,  the  bees  will  inhabit  the  same  comb 
and  continue  prosperous  for  ten  or  more  years.  I 
have  known  them  to  do  well  for  fifteen  years,  and 
instances  are  recorded  of  still  greater  duration. 

Exposing  a  hive  of  bees  to  extreme  heat  or  exces- 
sive dampness,  whether  in  a  cellar  or  other  moist 
room,  or  in  a  shady  place  near  the  earth,  not  only 
injures  the  comb,  but  (as  it  is  elsewhere  shown)  se- 
riously affects  the  health  of  the  bees. 

surface ;  portions  of  comb  are  sometimes  used  for  the  same  pur- 
pose.) These  so-called  comb  guides  are  sheets  of  zinc  or  thin 
boards,  and  placed  so  that  they  intervene  between  the  combs  ;  in 
this  way,  very  straight,  regular  combs  are  made.  Yet  the  eco- 
nomical bee-keeper  cannot  afford  to  use  them,  for  the  following 
reasons  (besides  it  is  a  very  unworkmanlike  way  of  doing)  : 
The  space  between  two  combs  is  three-eighths  of  an  inch*";  (if 
brood,  honey  is  less,)  if  these  so-called  comb  guides  (which  should 
be  of  wood)  are  used,  two  spaces  will  be  necessary;  together 
with  the  thickness  of  guide,  one-eighth,  will  make  seven-eighths  of 
an  inch,  in  place  of  three-eighths  inches,  between  combs.  The 
proper  thickness  of  a  comb  and  one  space  is  one  and  seven-six- 
teenths inches  ;  add  to  this  one-half  inch  space  and  wood,  and  we 
have  one  and  fifteen-sixteenths,  over  one-fourth  of  which  is  worse 
than  useless  room.  For  bees,  in  building  comb,  require  the  tem- 
perature in  the  hive  to  be  ninety-four  degrees,  or  nearly  blood 
heat.  To  maintain  this,  requires  great  exertion  of  the  bees  dur- 
ing the  cool  nights,  and  not  unfrequently  during  the  day ;  hence, 
it  is  obvious  that  a  swarm  cannot  do  this  without  a  much  greater 
consumption  of  stores,  and  even  then  it  is  impossible  to  cover  the 
useless  space  and  make  as  great  progress  as  when  no  obstacle 
intervenes. 


282  COMB. 

This  will  be  understood  by  observing  the  effect 
upon  them. 

The  temperature  steadily  maintained  in  the  midst 
of  the  cluster  of  bees  during  the  season  of  active 
breeding  is  94°  Fahr.,  even  though  the  outside  tem- 
perature is  below  freezing  point.  But  when  the  out- 
side temperature  is  raised  above  94°,  (which  is  fre- 
quently done  by  reflection  when  the  main  tempera- 
ture would  not  range  above  75°)  the  bees  arrange 
themselves  in  such  numbers  and  manner,  that  by 
standing  and  vibrating  their  wings  incessantly  (these 
ventilators,  as  they  may  be  called,  are  doubtless  re- 
lieved by  relays)  a  current  of  cool  air  is  driven  into 
the  hive  while  the  heated  air  is  forced  out.  Thus  a 
lower  temperature  is  maintained  within  the  hive  than 
prevails  outside.  They  however,  if  unable  to  keep 
the  temperature  at  a  sufficiently  low  point,  leave  the 
interior  and  cluster  on  the  outside,  seeking  to  get  in 
the  £hade,  not  many  remaining  inside,  except  those 
engaged  as  ventilators ;  thus  by  instinct  and  devoted 
labor,  they  save  their  combs  and  treasures  from  im- 
pending danger. 

JSTot  unfrequently,  however,  their  efforts  are  una- 
vailing; the  combs  become  so  nearly  melted,  that 
they  part,  of  their  own  weight,  and  sink  down  a  per- 
fect ruin,  involving  the  lives  of  the  queen  and  many 
bees. 

More  frequently,  however,  only  a  partial  melt  takes 
place,  which  occurs  in  the  comb  used  for  breeding, 
as  it  contains  cocoons  left  by  the  young  bees,  which 


CONDITION  OF  THE  COMB  IMPORTANT.    283 

are  retentive  of  heat,  and  the  wax  composing  the 
central  foundation  or  bottom  of  opposite  cells  is  there- 
by partially  melted.  This  extends  slightly  outwards 
to  the  waxen  walls  of  the  cells.  The  comb,  however, 
retains  its  shape,  being  held  together  by  the  lining 
membranes  as  well  as  the  remaining  sound  walls  near 
either  surface  of  the  comb. 

The  lives  of  the  young  brood  are  placed  in  jeop- 
ardy ;  some  are  destroyed,  while  others,  being  of  a 
different  age,  survive,  although  the  wax  is  disinte- 
grated in  a  slight  degree.  I  apprehend,  however, 
that  the  insensible  respiration  of  the  young  bee  pen- 
etrates the  cocoon,  and  in  combination  with  the  heat, 
causes  it  to  separate  from  the  wax,  and  a  partial  de- 
composition to  take  place.  This,  however,  is  arrested 
as  soon  as  the  young  bees  emerge,  by  the  moisture 
evaporating. 

Notwithstanding  the  permanent  damage  thus  sus- 
tained, the  bees  continue  to  use  the  same  coml^  re- 
peatedly, perhaps  for  years,  particularly  if  freed 
from  a  repetition  of  injury ;  decomposition  having 
once  been  started,  although  again  arrested,  will  set 
in  on  the  return  of  the  exciting  cause,  although  that 
cause  is  slight. 

Let  the  hive  that  has  sustained  damage,  as  above, 
be  placed  in  winter  quarters,  which  may  be  either  a 
room  containing  large  numbers  of  hives,  or  a  cellar 
with  either  few  or  many.  Also,  if  placed  in  a  posi- 
tion that  is  shaded,  if  dampness  is  found  to  collect 
upon  or  within  the  hive,  the  combs  of  which  have 


284  COMB. 

been  subject  to  partial  melt,  decomposition  again 
takes  place,  and  the  combs  are  soon  rotten ;  this  is 
known  by  mold  collecting.  On  examining  them,  they 
are  found  to  pulverize  easily,  even  when  warm ;  the 
bees  avoid  it  as  long  as  there  is  other  room  in  which 
to  build  comb  and  store  honey. 

It  matters  not  at  what  age  the  combs  are,  when  thus 
damaged ;  if  bad,  they  are  practically  worthless. 

Bees  should  not  be  located  where  excessive  dust  is 
blown  to  the  entrance,  as  the  bees  in  passing  in  carry 
it,  and  incorporate  it  with  the  comb. 

HOW  TO   DETECT   HALF-MELT   AND    COMB   ROT. 

This  can  be  done  by  the  smell.  On  opening  the 
hive  that  is  affected,  a  disagreeable  odor  will  be  per- 
ceived, resembling  slightly  that  of  carrion.  The  ex- 
tent of  the  damage  may  be  judged  by  the  intensity 
of  the  smell ;  this  can  only  be  discovered  at  a  time 
when  there  is  empty  comb  in  the  hive,  as  the  smell 
disappears  after  the  bees  refill  their  hive,  but  to  re- 
appear the  next  spring.  It  can  also  be  detected  if 
bad,  by  breaking  the  comb ;  the  waxen  walls  are 
partly  melted,  but  the  lining  cocoons  retain  it  in 
shape.  Comb,  when  good,  has  a  slightly  sharp  and 
pungent  smell,  which  is  agreeable. 

A  hive  so  affected  will  frequently  live  three  or  four 
years  without  swarming,  but  appearing  strong  in  num- 
bers. If  the  season  be  a  good  one,  they  may  make 
a  small  amount  of  spare  honey,  but  soon  they  dwindle 
away,  till  all  disappear. 


DAMAGED  COMBS  TO  BE  REMOVED.     285 
DAMAGED  COMBS  TO  BE  REMOVED. 

When  the  damage  is  but  slight,  the  affected  por- 
tions of  the  comb  should  be  pruned  out  so  as  to  allow 
the  bees  to%  build  new  ones.  But  if  bad,  then  trans- 
fer the  bees  into  a  new  hive,  and  supply  them  with 
sound  tjombs  taken  from  other  hives.  For  directions, 
see  Chapter  on  Transferring. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

TEANSFERRING. 


Season  for  Transferring 291 

Preparations 291 

Time  of  Day 292 

Temperature 292 

Place, 292 

How  Done . .  293 


290  TRANSFERRING. 

stores  collected  before  the  flowers  fail ;  hence,  starva- 
tion and  a  total  loss  are  sure  to  follow. 

A  hive  suited  to  the  purpose  of  transferring-  bees 
has  been  the  desideratum  heretofore  wanting.  This 
want  is  fully  supplied  in  the  California  hive. 

By  means  of  the  adjustable  comb  frame,  the  cen- 
ter bar  of  which  is  movable  up  or  down,  combs  or 
parts  of  combs  of  any  desired  size,  together  with 
their  contents,  consisting  of  brood  and  stores,  can  be 
fitted  in  and  firmly  held  in  the  frames  by  means  of 
the  metallic  clamps.  These  clamps  are  easily  pre- 
pared and  applied,  and  are  not  offensive  to  the  bees. 
As  they  are  smooth  and  only  grasp  the  comb  by  the 
edge,  they  cause  but  a  slight  loss  of  the  young 
brood,  as  compared  with  the  plan  of  "  tying  the 
comb  in  the  frame  with  twine  or  tape."  As  the 
material  used  in  tying  must  necessarily  pass  over  the 
surface  of  the  brood,  the  bees  will  cut  out  and  re- 
move all  the  young  under  it,  causing  a  considerable 
loss.  Nothing  is  more  annoying  to  them  than  such 
appendages,  which  in  many  instances  are  the  cause 
of  their  deserting  the  hive.  When  they  remain, 
they  cut  out  and  remove  the  wrapping  with  great 
labor  and  difficulty  ;  this  the  humane  bee  keeper  will 
avoid,  at  least  as  a  matter  of  economy. 

It  is  a  positive  rule  that  bees  should  be  transferred 
only  when  there  is  good  pasturage,  that  will  last  at 
least  one  month  afterwards.  All  the  suitable  comb 
jind  stores  are  to  be  given  to  them  as  hereafter  di- 
rected. 


PREPARATIONS.  291 

SEASON   FOR   TRANSFERRING. 

Th<j  most  suitable  season  for  transferring  is  in 
the  spring,  when  pasturage  first  becomes  plenty,  say 
about  the  time  that  peach  trees  come  into  blow. 
Hives  rich  in  stores  and  strong  in  numbers  may  be 
changed  one  or  two  weeks  earlier  with  safety,  by  giv- 
ing them  a  large  supply  of  honey. 

In  the  Sacramento,  and  other  valleys  having  the 
same  resources,  the  best  time  is  from  the  20th  of 
February  to  the  20th  of  July,  though  it  may  be  per- 
formed with  safety  one  month  later ;  but  I  do  not  rec- 
ommend it  unless  skill  and  care  are  exercised.  In 
localities  where  the  pasture  fails  in  June,  transferring 
ought  not  to  be  attempted  Jater  than  the  1st  of  May. 

PREPARATIONS. 

A  hive,  to  receive  the  transfer,  should  have  the 
frames  provided  with  the  metallic  clamps :  a  box  six 
inches  deep,  and  of  a  size  to  fit  on  the  mouth  of  the 
hive  that  the  bees  are  to  be  driven  from,  is  also  nec- 
essary. (If  the  box  is  simply  a  square,  with  a  mova- 
ble cover,  it  is  more  convenient  for  dislodging  the 
bees.) 

Tools  suited  to  remove  the  sides  of  the  old  hive, 
and  a  table  or  work  bench  should  be  at  hand ;  also, 
a  wide  dish  to  receive  the  honey,  and  a  long-bladed 
knife  to  cut  out  the  combs ;  a  roll  of  cotton  cloth  for 
smoking  the  bees,  a  wing  or  quill  for  brushing,  and 
water  for  sprinkling  them  and  washing  hands,  are 
the  preparations  required. 


292  TRANSFERRING. 


TIME    OF   DAY. 

• 

The  time  of  day  best  suited  to  this  purpose  is  late 
in  the  afternoon,  or  by  candle-light.  By  commenc- 
ing about  one  hour  before  sundown,  the  operation  can 
be  completed  before  dark.  By  transferring  late  in 
the  day  or  evening,  robbers  are  not  so  apt  to  be 
attracted  by  the  broken  honey,  which  is  of  great  im- 
portance, for  when  they  once  get  a  start  it  is  difficult 
to  stop  their  depredations.  It  also  gives  the  bees 
time  to  reorganize,  and  clean  up  the  honey  that  is 
smeared  over  the  combs  before  the  following  day. 

TEMPERATURE. 

When  the  brood  is  to  be  handled  in  the  open  air, 
the  temperature  should  be  mild. 


PLACE. 

If  the  operation  is  performed  by  day,  the  bees  are 
driven  out  in  a  box  and  left  on  the  stand  where  the 
hive  stood.  The  combs,  as  they  are  taken  out  and 
freed  from  bees,  should  be  taken  into  a  room  where 
the  temperature  is  sufficiently  warm  to  prevent  a 
chill  of  the  brood.  Placing  the  combs  and  honey 
in  a  room  also  precludes  the  attraction  of  robbers. 
When  the  combs  have  been  arranged  as  hereafter 
described,  the  hive  containing  them  and  the  bees  is 
set  in  the  same  place  that  the  original  hive  occupied, 
and  the  bees  hived  as  a  natural  swarm. 


PLATE  XLII, 


FIGURE  69. 


FIGURE  70. 


HOW   DONE.  293 

When  the  operation  is  performed  at  night,  the  bees 
may  be  driven  and  managed  in  the  same  manner  as 
by  daylight,  or  all  may  be  taken  into  a  shop  or  cel- 
lar, out  of  the  wind,  where  all  the  appliances  are  at 
hand. 

HOW   DONE. 

If  the  bees  are  flying,  commence  by  blowing  smoke 
into  the  entrance,  or  elevate  the  hive  and  sprinkle 
the  bees  with  pure  cold  water,  and  jar  the  hive  for 
ten  or  fifteen  minutes ;  this  will  prevent  the  bees  that 
are  in  the  hive  from  leaving  it,  and  give  them  time 
to  fill  themselves,  and  those  that  are  out,  time  to  re- 
turn. The  hive  is  then  to  be  inverted,  as  represented 
in  plate  XLII,  fig.  69.  B  is  the  hive,  and  A  is  the 
empty  box  set  on  the  mouth  of  the  hive  for  the  recep- 
tion of  the  bees  that  are  now  compelled  to  ascend. 
A  cloth  may  be  fastened  around  the  joint  to  prevent 
the  escape  of  the  bees.*  Now  with  a  couple  of  light 
sticks  commence  striking  the  sides  of  the  hive  smartly 
and  regularly,  which  is  to  be  continued  for  about  fif- 
teen minutes.  If  there  are  any  openings  in  what 
was  the  top  of  the  hive,  but  as  it  now  stands,  the 
bottom,  blow  in  smoke  to  accelerate  their  movements. 

At  the  end  of  the  above  time,  lift  the  box  which 
now  contains  a  part  of  the  bees,  and  without  turning 

*A  gum-elastic  band  three  inches  wide,  and  of  a  suitable  length 
to  reach  around  the  mouth  of  the  box,  will  answer  the  two-fold 
purpose  of  holding  the  box  firmly  on  the  inverted  hive,  and  pre- 
venting the  escape  of  bees. 


294  TRANSFERRING. 

or  jarring  it,  place  it  on  a  table  as  represented  in  fig. 
70.  A  is  the  box  and  C  is  the  table ;  one  side  of 
the  box  is  raised  to  admit  the  bees  freely.  Then 
with  a  hammer  and  chisel  remove  one  side  of  the 
hive,  to  give  easy  access  to  the  comb.  The  hive 
is  to  be  placed  with  one  side  against  and  even  with 
the  table,  so  that  the  remaining  bees  can  crawl 
into  the  box  as  they  are  driven  from  the  hive,  which 
is  done  by  smoking  or  brushing  them  with  a  wing  or 
quill.  Then  with  a  thin-bladed  knife  cut  out  the 
comb,  and  gently  brush  all  adhering  bees  from  each 
piece  on  the  table,  and  see  that  they  enter  the  box 
with  the  others.  The  first  comb  taken  out  usually 
contains  stores,  and  should  be  laid  on  the  table  as 
represented  in  plate  XLIII,  fig.  71.  D,  the  comb  ; 
frame  K,  laid  on  as  a  measure  to  cut  it  by,  so  as  to 
fit  the  frame  as  represented  in  fig.  72,  which  is  pre- 
pared with  metallic  clamps  to  secure  the  comb  in  the 
frame,  and  is  held  upright  by  being  stepped  in  a  sill 
or  block  prepared  for  the  purpose.  When  the  comb 
is  fitted  and  fastened,  the  frame  containing  it  is 
placed  in  a  hive  ready  to  receive  it ;  beginning  at 
one  side,  each  comb  is  removed  in  the  same  manner. 
Each  piece  should  be  examined  and  the  part  contain- 
ing the  brood  should  have  the  preference.  Having 
cut  and  fitted  in  the  frames  with  as  little  loss  as  pos- 
sible, the  frames,  when  filled,  should  be  placed  in 
the  new  hive  in  such  a  manner  that  the  brood  is  in 
a  compact  form.  When  the  brood  is  all  disposed  of, 
fill  the  remaining  frames  with  comb  containing  stores. 


PLATE  XLIII. 


FIGURE  72. 


OF  THB 

UNIVERSITY 


HOW  DONE.  295 

If  there  is  more  comb  than  fills  the  upper  section  of 
the  frames,  a  second  cross  bar  may  be  put  in,  so  that 
there  will  be  two  portions  of  comb  in  the^same  frame. 
When  all  is  complete,  the  glass  frame  and  the  honey- 
board  are  put  in  their  places  and  the  door  closed  ; 
the  front  slide  is  taken  out,  and  if  any  honey  has  run 
from  the  combs,  clean  it  out  before  commencing  to 
hive  the  bees.  A  broad  board  is  placed  on  a  level 
with  the  entrance,  and  the  bees  are  to  be  shaken  out 
of  the  box  on  it  and  compelled  to  enter.  When  all 
are  in,  arrange  the  entrance  so  that  the  bees  can 
pass  out  and  in  freely. 

After  all  the  frames  are  in 'their  places,  close  the 
door  and  leave  the  lid  open ;  then  hold  the  box  con- 
taining the  bees  closely  over  the  hive,  and  by  a  sud- 
den-jar they  will  fall  directly  on  top  of  the  frames, 
whence  they  are  easily  compelled  to  go  below,  by 
brushing  them  with  a  quill  or  wing,  or  by  sprinkling 
or  smoking  them.  When  this  is  effected,  open  the 
door  and  adjust  the  honey-board  so  as  to  prevent 
the  bees  reascending.  When  the  hive  is  properly  ar- 
ranged and  set  on  the  original  stand,  the  apertures 
are  to  be  opened  for  the  working  of  the  bees.  As 
soon  as  they  have  repaired  and  fastened  the  combs, 
which  will  be  done  in  two  or  three  days,  commence 
to  give  them  the  remainder  of  the  honey.  This  m^Jr 
be  done  by  placing  a  portion  of  the  comb  under  the 
cluster  of  bees,  or  in  the  chamber.  When  the  honey 
is  taken  from  this  comb,  let  it  be  removed  and  more 
given,  until  the  hive  is  well  provisioned. 


CHAPTER   XX. 

FEEDING. 


When  to.  Feed , 299 

Conditions  Requiring  it 300 

Material 301 

Honey 301 

Pollen 301 

Sugar 302 

Flour 303 

Quantity  of  Food  per  Day 303 

Where  Placed,  and  How  Given 304 

Promiscuous  Feeding 307 

Feeding  apt  to  excite  Robbery 308 

Caution  respecting   Feeding 309 

13* 


CHAPTER    XX. 

FEEDING. 


FEEDING  bees  becomes  necessary  when  they  are 
in  danger  of  dying,  or  swarming  out  for  want  of  food. 
Feeding  may  also  be  made  to  pay  a  fair  profit  for  the 
outlay,  provided  it  is  done  in  season ;  the  object  to  bo 
gained  in  this  case  is  to  have  the  bees  strong  at  the 
commencement  of  a  harvest  season,  either  from  flow- 
ers or  other  sources.  But  if  feeding  is  resorted  to 
for  the  purpose  of  having  dissolved  sugar  or  inferior 
honey  stored  as  an  article  for  market,  it  will  prove  a 
loss,  directly  or  indirectly,  to  the  person  feeding  and 
a  swindle  on  the  purchaser,  as  the  material  fed  to 
them  undergoes  no  material  change  except  to  receive 
a  portion  of  musk  imparted  by  the  bees,  and  to  be- 
come condensed  by  evaporation. 

WHEN   TO   FEED. 

Feeding  may  be  commenced  as  early  as  February, 
if  the  weather  is  warm  and  the  bees  are  flying  fre- 
quently. But  if  cool,  defer^  it,  as  feeding  at  such 
times  frequently  causes  dysentery ;  consequently,  it  is 
better  to  supply  hives  that  are  short  of  provisions  by 


300  FEEDING. 

taking  combs  having  stores  from  other  hives  and  plac- 
ing the  empty  combs  in  their  stead.  This  plan  of 
equalizing  will  benefit  both  hives,  if  properly  done. 

There  are  times  in  March,  April  and  May,  when 
bees  gather  but  little  honey  and  need  to  be  fed. 
They  can  gather  pollen  in  abundance  at  such  times. 
And  when  supplied  with  sweets,  they  work  with  re- 
newed energy. 

As  soon  as  the  flowers  fail  on  the  plains,  which,  in 
most  places,  is  late  in  May  or  early  in  June,  pastur- 
age will  be  scarce  for  the  balance  of  the  year,  except 
along  streams,  on  wet  lands,  and  in  the  mountains. 
Then  feeding  should  commence  in  quantities  just  suffi- 
cient to  cause  them  to  keep  their  combs  full  of  brood, 
without  allowing  their  stores  to  diminish.  Their 
wants  being  regularly  supplied,  they  rear  very  large 
numbers  of  young,  so  that  at  the  time  the  Cephal- 
anthus  blooms,  there  is  ample  force  to  gather  and 
store  large  quantities  of  the  best  honey  of  the  season. 
Where  this  bush  abounds,  cease  to  feed  about  one 
week  previous  to  the  time  it  comes  into  bloom,  which 
is  about  the  first  of  July. 

In  sections  of  country  where  the  pasturage  declines 
in  June,  feeding  will  have  to  be  resorted  to  at  inter- 
vals during  the  remainder  of  the  summer,  or  they 
will  have  to  be  transported  to  where  pasture  abounds. 

CONDITIONS   REQUIRING   IT. 

The  first  requisite  is  a  "fertile  queen,  together  with 
a  sufficiently  numerous  swarm  of  bees  to  defend  them- 
selves. 


POLLEN.  801 

The  second  (and  it  is  of  but  little  less  importance 
than  the  first)  is  to  have  perfect  combs  so  arranged 
as  to  suit  the  wants  of  the  bees.  If  in  the  first  of 
the  season,  they  will  wish  to  extend  the  structures. 
If  at  the  close,  they  will  desire  to  remain  quiescent. 
Feeding  without  these  conditions  is  useless. 

MATERIAL. 

The  materials  suitable  for  feeding  are  honey ,  pol- 
len, sugar,  %&&  flour. 

HONEY. 

Honey  for  feeding  bees  is  to  be  preferred  to  sugar, 
provided  it  is  of  good  quality,  but  great  care  should 
be  taken  that  no  honey  from  hives  containing  foul 
brood  is  fed,  for  it  will  surely  reproduce  the  disease. 
The  dark  fall  honey,  particularly  that  gathered  from 
honey-dew,  is  inferior  to  sugar  for  bee  food  ;  hence  it 
ought  only  be  given  after  the  weather  becomes  warm 
in  the  spring. 

If  strained  honey  which  has  become  candied,  or 
of  thick  consistency,  be  used,  it  should  first  be  re- 
duced to  that  of  new  honey,  which  is  done  by  adding 
a  little  water  and  placing  it  over  a  slow  fire  until  it 
attains  120°  Fahr. ;  it  is  then  to  be  taken  off  and 
cooled,  and  is  fit  for  use. 

POLLEN. 

Pollen  is  an  indispensable  article  of  food  during 
the  season  of  breeding,  yet  the  adult  bees  subsist  in 


302  FEEDING. 

a  healthy  condition  on  honey  alone,  but  cannot  on 
pollen.  Pollen,  being  stored  in  combs  with  honey, 
needs  no  preparation  for  the  use  of  the  bees  ;  hence 
the  directions  given  for  feeding  honey  in  the  comb 
apply  also  to  pollen. 

SUGAR. 

Sugar*  of  the  best  quality  is  the  cheapest  for  this 
purpose.  Refined  yellow  is  to  be  preferred  to  any 
other,  as  it  costs  less,  and  is  equally  as  good  for  the 
bees  as  the  white  crushed.  Sugar  containing  a  large 
amount  of  gum  is  unfit  to  feed  to  bees. 

For  feeding  in  the  hive,  dissolve  one  pound  of  sugar 
in  one  pound  of  water,  but  for  promiscuous  feeding, 
use  one  and  one-eighth  pounds  of  water  to  one  of 
sugar.  Where  a  large  quantity  is  to  be  used,  it  may 
be  dissolved  to  the  consistency  of  syrup  and  then  re- 
duced with  water  as  above. 


*  "  Experiments  have  proved  the  excellence  of  sugar  as  a  sub- 
stitute for  honey,  and  in  some  instances  its  superiority  for  the 
formation  of  wax.  It  might  otherwise  have  heen  supposed  that 
bees  might  form  comb  from  some  particles  of  wax  accidentally 
present  in  the  honey,  and  that  these  afforded  the  pabulum  for  this 
secretion.  To  prove,  therefore,  that  the  saccharine  principle  alone 
enabled  the  bees  to  produce  wax,  being  still  confined,  they  were 
supplied  with  a  syrup  made  with  Canary  sugar  and  water,  and  at 
the  same  time  comparative  experiments  were  made  in  another 
hive  where  the  bees  were  fed  on  honey  and  water.  The  syrup-fed 
bees  produced  wax  sooner  and  more  abundantly  than  the  honey- 
fed  bees.  Another  fact  was  also  incontrovertibly  elicited,  namely  : 
that  in  the  old  hives  the  honey  is  warehoused,  and  that  in  the  new 
ones  it  is  consumed,  then  transmuted  into  wax." — Bevan. 


QUANTITY   OF   FOOD   PER   DAY.  303 

Should  it  be  found  necessary  to  feed  late  in  the 
season,  less  water  should  be  added,  as  evaporation  is 
then  less  rapid,  and  longer  time  would  elapse  before 
the  bees  could  seal  it  over. 


FLOUR. 

Flour  of  different  kinds  (that  made  from  rye  is 
best)  forms  a  valuable  substitute  for  pollen,  particu- 
larly in  the  spring,  before  the  latter  can  be  obtained 
from  the  usual  source.  As  soon  as  the  bees  com- 
mence to  fly  out  in  the  spring,  they  will  partake  of 
it,  if  placed  within  their  reach,  and  continue  to  carry 
it  into  their  hives  until  a  supply  can  be  had  from  the 
natural  sources. 

Take  one  pound  of  dry  flour  for  each  ten  hives  of 
bees  to  be  fed,  (the  quantity  can  be  increased  or  di- 
minished according  as  it  is  consumed)  place  it  in 
troughs  or  large  shallow  dishes  set  in  a  place  shel- 
tered from  the  wind,  and  at  the  same  time  admit  the 
sun  to  shine  on  it.  It  should  be  kept  dry,  and  re- 
plenished from  day  to  day  as  long  as  the  bees  con- 
tinue to  partake  of  it.  Flour  may  also  be  put  into 
combs  or  vessels  and  placed  within  the  hive,  in  the 
same  manner  as  other  food. 


QUANTITY   OF  FOOD   PER  DAY. 

From  one  to  two  pints  of  liquid  sweets  per  day  to 
the  hive,  according  .to  the  average  strength  of  the 


304  FEEDING. 

stock,  is  found  to  make  them  flourish  ;  commence  by 
giving  a  little  till  they  find  the  road,  and  then  give 
them  one  quart  per  day  to  the  hive,  for  the  first  two 
days,  if  they  can  take  it ;  after  which,  one  pint  per 
day  regularly,  for  eight  or  ten  days,  will  cause  them 
to  increase  greatly. 

It  is  best  to  feed  liberally  and  regularly  for  some 
days  in  succession,  and  then  stop  for  a  few  days,  as 
this  feeding  causes  them  to  rear  a  large  quantity  of 
brood,  which  being  considerably  advanced  in  ten  or 
twelve  days,  they  do  not  require  so  large  an  amount 
of  food  as  at  first,  or  as  they  will  when  the  young 
bees  emerge,  (which  is  within  twenty-two  days  from 
the  laying  of  the  egg)  at  which  time  they  should 
again  be  fed,  unless  there  is  pasturage  sufficient  to 
supply  their  wants. 

* 

WHERE   PLACED    AND   HOW    GIVEN. 

Each  hive  of  bees,  pr  any  particular  one,  can  be 
fed  by  placing  the  food  within  the  hive  or  at  the  en- 
trance to  it ;  or  the  whole  stock  can  be  fed  promis- 
cuously in  troughs  or  shallow  vessels  placed  a  few 
rods  from  them. 

Feeding  within  the  hive  is  the  best  plan  (whether 
few  or  many  colonies)  when  neighboring  bees  are 
numerous,  unless  we  wish  to  give  our  neighbors'  bees 
a  special  benefit.  If  the  food  to  be  given  is  contained 
in  combs,  it  should  be  placed  within  the  main  apart- 
ment of  the  hive.  In  frame  hives  this  is  done  by 


WHERE  PLACED  AND  HOW  GIVEN.     305 

putting  the  combs  into  frames  and  placing  them  in 
the  room  of  empty  combs,  and  adjoining  the  cluster 
of  bees.  But  if  no  frames  are  used,  and  there  is  a 
space  not  filled  with  comb,  then,  by  means  of  cross 
sticks,  fasten  in  a  quantity  of  combs  containing  stores. 
If  no  space  exists,  then  take  a  ring,  say  six  inches 
deep  and  of  the  same  diameter  as  the  hive  to  be 
supplied ;  place  sticks  across  the  bottom  of  the  ring 
in  a  position  to  sustain  and  keep  the  combs  elevated, 
to  allow  the  bees  a  free  passage  between  them  and 
the  stand.  Then  set  the  combs  in  on  their  edge, 
giving  the  usual  spaces,  and  secure  in  that  position 
by  means  of  pieces  of  combs  and  cross  sticks.  Set 
the  hive  to  be  supplied  on  top  of  the  ring  or  eke* 
and  let  it  remain  on  the  same  stand. 

An  aperture  for  egress  and  ingress  should  be  made 
to  occupy  the  same  relative  position  as  the  oflfe  pre- 
viously used  by  the  bees.  This  ring  should  remain 
during  the  winter,  and  be  removed  as  soon  as  the 
bees  commence  work  in  the  spring.  If  the  chamber 
hive  be  used,  combs  containing  stores  may  be  placed 
in  the  chamber,  and  allowed  to  remain  until  the  bees 
remove  their  contents. 

At  the  time  of  supplying  food,  either  within  or  at 
the  entrance  of  the  hive,  the  bees  should  be  attracted 


*  The  above  plan  has  long  been  practiced,  and  with  good  suc- 
cess ;  hence,  persons  who  keep  bees  on  the  old  plan,  should  not 
fail  to  avail  themselves  of  its  benefits.  By  supplying  such  combs 
as  contain  mostly  bee-bread,  whether  the  bees  are  in  immediate 
want  of  it  or  not,  you  will  add  greatly  to  their  prosperity. 


800  FEEDING. 

to  it  by  sprinkling  liquid  sweets  on  the  cluster  of  bees 
and  along  the  passage  leading  to  the  food.  When 
promiscuous  feeding  is  resorted  to,  sprinkle  a  portion 
of  the  liquid  on  the  bees  and  at  the  entrance  of  each 
hive  that  is  most  in  need.  Pieces  of  comb,  or  even 
wood,  may  be  dipped  in  the  liquid  and  placed  at  the 
entrance  of  each  hive  until  the  bees  cluster  on  it ; 
they  are  then  to"  be  gently  carried  and  laid  on  the 
food  wherever  placed.  When  once  shown  the  road, 
they  are  always  on  the  lookout  for  their  daily  allow- 
ance, unless  stopped  for  a  few  days,  in  which  case 
they  should  be  toled  to  it  a  second  time. 

A  tin  cup,  or  dish  of  almost  any  kind,  may  be  set 
in  the  chamber,  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  food ; 
floats  are  to  be  first  placed  in  them,  to  allow  the  bees 
to  sip  the  liquid  without  getting  soiled  or  drowned  in 
it.  When  such  vessels  are  used,  it  allows  the  bees 
to  spread  through  the  chamber,  and  some  of  them 
are  liable  to  be  crushed  in  closing  the  door  of  the 
hive  ;  this,  however,  can  be  prevented  by  using  smoke 
to  drive  them  out  of  danger. 

The  following  described  box  answers  a  good  pur- 
pose for  feeding  within  the  hive,  as  it  allows  the  bees 
to  ascend  without  being  in  the  way  of  opening  or 
closing  the  hive. 

Plate  XLIV,  fig.  73 :  A  represents  a  tin  box  five 
inches  wide  by  seven  inches  long,  and  two  inches 
deep ;  b,  float  placed  in  the  tin  box  to  keep  the  bees 
from  drowning ;  (7,  wooden  box  or  slip-cover,  made  to 
fit  loosely  over  the  tin  box,  being  five  and  one-eighth 


PLATE  XLIV. 


FlGUKE    7-^. 


PROMISCUOUS   FEEDING.  307 

inches  wide  by  eight  inches  long,  and  three  inches 
deep — all  in  the  clear ;  d,  partition,  two  inches  high, 
and  made  at  one  end  to  form  a  passage,  as  represented 
at  n;  e,  wire  screen  to  admit  air  and  enable  the 
apiarist  to  examine  the  contents  of  the  tin  box ;  fy 
aperture,  through  which  the  liquid  food  is  to  be 
poured ;  g,  cover  to  aperture. 

The  tin  box  A  is  represented  as  placed  on  a  cham- 
ber floor  in  the  position  it  should  occupy  in  the  hive, 
and  the  cover  C  elevated  above  it ;  by  lowering  the 
cover  to  its  place,  the  passage  n  corresponds  with  the 
passage  m  in  the  chamber  floor,  allowing  the  bees  to 
ascend  to  the  food,  without  having  their  liberty  in 
the  chamber.  Feed  can  be  supplied  either  by  night 
or  day,  without  removing  the  box. 

The  above  tin  box  may  be  set  at  the  entrance  of  a 
hive,  and  covered,  so  that  only  a  small  opening  at  one 
edge  is  allowed  for  the  bees  to  pass  in  and  out.  The 
feed  should  be  given  in  the  evening,  and  the  box  re- 
moved the  following  morning.  This  precaution  is 
necessary  to  prevent  robbery. 


•  PROMISCUOUS   FEEDING. 

For  promiscuous  feeding,  shallow  troughs  are  made 
as  follows :  Take  a  sound  plank,  one  and  one-fourth 
inches  thick,  sixteen  inches  wide,  and  six  feet  long, 
for  the  bottom,  and  for  the  rim  two  pieces  sixteen 
inches  long,  and  two  pieces  six  feet,  two  inches  long 
and  three  and  one-half  inches  wide  ;  these  are  to  be 


308  FEEDING. 

well  jointed,  and  white  lead  used  when  putting  them 
together  ;  they  are  to  be  thoroughly  nailed,  and  the 
inside  painted  ;  when  dry,  it  is  fit  for  use.  This  size 
gives  eight  feet  surface,  and  affords  room  for  the  usual 
number  of  bees  from  thirty-two  hives  to  fe*ed  at  once. 
Before  feed  is  put  in,  take  slats  or  pieces  of  comb  and 
place  them  in  the  trough  so  as  to  form  a  floating  bridge 
on  which  the  bees  may  stand  without  soiling  them- 
selves while  feeding. 

Shallow  pans,  bridged  in  like  manner,  with  a  sur- 
face in  proportion  to  the  stock  to  be  fed,  answer  the 
same  purpose.  The  place  for  feeding  should  be  a 
few  rods  from  the  hives.  During  the  spring,  or  when 
the  weather  is  cool,  the  sun  should  shine  on  and 
around  the  place ;  but  when  warm,  it  should  be  ex- 
cluded. 

The  advantages  gained  by  feeding  promiscuously 
are,  that  it  can  be  better  done  and  with  less  than  one- 
half  the  labor  it  requires  to  feed  each  hive  separately. 

The  strong  and  vigorous  hives  gather  more  than 
the  weak  ones.  This  is  as  it  should  be,  for  they  are 
to  be  drawn  upon,  from  time  tb  time,  for  brood  and 
stores  to  build  up  the  weak  ones.  When  this  plan  is 
once  commenced,  it  must  be  attended  to  regularly. 

FEEDING  APT  TO  EXCITE  ROBBERY. 

"While  feeding  bees  separately,  those  of  other  hives 
are  frequently  attracted  by  the  smell  of  the  food,  and 
try  to  rob  them.  This  is  best  guarded  against  by 


CAUTION  RESPECTING  FEEDING.       309 

keeping  the  entrance  to  the  hive  contracted,  leaving 
barely  room  for  the  bees  to  pass  out  and  in.  They 
should  be  fed  in.  the  evening,  and  if  necessary,  the 
hives  kept  closed  (except  for  ventilation)  during  a 
part  of  the  following  day.  If  at  any  time  they  are  lia- 
ble to  be  overpowered,  remove  the  feed,  and  close  the 
hive  till  near  sundown ;  at  which  time,  it  is  to  be 
opened,  to  allow  the  robbers  to  depart. 

Promiscuous  feeding  is  also  liable  to  incite  robbery, 
particularly  if  a  limited  amount  is  given,  without  sat- 
isfying their  wants.  This  difficulty  is  obviated  by 
giving  them  all  they  can  carry  away,  for  two  or  three 
days  in  succession ;  after  which,  a  liberal  feed,  once 
a  day,  at  a  regular  hour,  will  be  sufficient.  It  should 
be  given  either  in  the  morning  or  late  in  the  after- 
noon. 

After  the  supply  is  exhausted,  many  robbers  may 
be  seen  hovering  around  the  different  hives  for  a  time ; 
but  they  soon  cease  their  efforts.  If,  however,  they 
persist,  give  them  all  the  feed  they  can  carry  till 
dark;  and  as  soon  as  they  have  enough  stored  to 
answer  the  purpose,  cease  feeding  entirely. 

Homeopathic  doses  do  not  work  well  in  the  matter 
of  promiscuous  feeding. 


CAUTION  RESPECTING  FEEDING. 

I  would  caution  new  beginners  to  be  exceedingly 
careful  in  practicing  the  different  plans  of  feeding  ;, 
for  if  badly  managed,  it  may  prove  the  ruin  of  the 


310  FEEDING. 

apiary  ;  while  if  carefully  and  judiciously  managed, 
it  is  fully  as  profitable  as  that  of  feeding  any  other 
kind  of  stock. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

ROBBERY. 


Primary  Cause 213 

Secondary  Cause 213 

Exciting  Cause 214 

How.  to  Detect A . .  214 

Preventives 215 

How  a  Conquered  Family  may  be  Saved 216 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

ROBBERY. 


PRIMARY    CAUSE. 

THE  primary  cause  of  robbery  may  be  fairly  traced 
to  natural  acquisitiveness  ;  which  is,  in  the  honey  bee, 
highly  developed.  Without  any  modifying  traits  of 
character,  it  is  not  strange,  therefore,  that  they  some- 
times seek  to  acquire  that  which  does  not  belong  to 
them.  Without  that  propensity,  they  would  be  of  no 
more  use  to  man  than  any  other  of  the  myriads  of 
winged  insects  that  are  so  common.  Being  possessed 
of  the  bee,  which  has  traits  of  character  no  less  un- 
changeable than  wonderful,  it  remains  for  us  to  con- 
trol and  direct  them  in  such  a  manner  as  to  secure 
the  largest  amount  of  honey  for  the  money  and  labor 
invested. 

SECONDARY    CAUSE. 

The  secondary  cause,  or  that  which  leads  to  ma- 

.  rauding,  is  a  failure  of  pasturage ;  for,  while  they 

can  procure  supplies  from  flowers  sufficient  to  meet 

their  wants,  they  are  never  found  meddling  with  their 

14 


314  ROBBERY. 

neighbors,  unless  excited  by  a  careless  exposure  of 
honey,  or  defenceless  hives  having  honey. 


EXCITING   CAUSE. 

The  exposure  of  honey,  the  presence  of  worms 
creating  a  scent,  a  neglect  of  the  bee-keeper  to  notice 
and  remove  queenless  or  deserted  hives,  or  feeble 
swarms,  are  among  the  causes  tending  to  excite  rob- 
bers. If  by  these  means  they  once  get  a  taste,  the 
propensity  is  aroused  so  as  to  endanger  the  lives  even 
of  good  colonies.  The  question  would  here  naturally 
arise — Will  not  feeding  •  produce  this  result  ?  The 
answer  is,  that  it  will,  unless  judiciously  managed. 


HOW  TO' DETECT. 

Robbers  may  easily  be  known,  when  making  their 
first  attacks,  by  their  hovering  around  the  hive,  either 
seeking  to  alight  at  the  entrance,  or  trying  to  force 
their  way  through  any  crevice  that  may  be  found  in 
the  hive.  Their  motions  are  quick  and  irregular ; 
first  remaining  poised  on  the  wing,  seemingly  ready 
to  alight,  and  then  suddenly  darting  away,  to  again 
return  in  the  same  manner.  If  the  swarm  that  is 
being  attacked  is  on  the  alert,  they  try  to  catch  and 
slay  the  intruders  ;  when  they  do  this,  there  need  be 
but  little  fear  for  their  safety. 

When  a  colony  is  once  conquered  and  their  stores 
are  being  carried  away,  it  is  difficult  to  distinguish 


PREVENTIVES.  315 

the  robbers  from  the  actual  population  of  the  hive,  as 
they  fly  out  with  considerable  regularity.  This  bears 
so  strong  a  resemblance  to  the  playing  or  "  fly-out " 
of  the  young  bees,  that  it  is  difficult  to  determine 
their  true  character. 

The  robbers  may  be  known  by  their  crawling  to 
the  edge  of  the  alighting  board,  or  up  the  side  of  the 
hive,  before  flying ;  their  sacks  being  full  of  honey, 
gives  them  a  larger  appearance  than  that  of  playing 
bees.  When  some  progress  has  been  made  at  carry- 
ing away  honey,  there  may  be  seen,  at  the  entrance 
and  under  the  hive,  cuttings  of  the  comb. 

Robbers  may  also  be  known  by  a  peculiar  sharp 
sound  they  make,  when  engaged  in  their  depredations. 

PREVENTIVES. 

No  hive  having  stores,  and  without  a  well  organ- 
ized colony  to  defend  them,  should  be  allowed  to 
stand  where  it  is  accessible  to  robbers.  Neither 
should  honey  or  refuse  combs  be  placed  where  bees 
can  fly  to  them  promiscuously,  unless  supplied  with 
all  they  can  remove  for  two  or  three  days  in  succes- 
sion ;  for  when  they  get  a  taste,  they  become  excited 
and  attack  weak  and  strong  hives  alike,  and  of  course, 
numbers  are  slain  on  both  sides. 

As  soon  as  pasturage  becomes  scarce,  and  symp- 
toms of  robbing  are  shown,  let  the  entrance  of  each 
hive  be  so  contracted  that  the  guards  can  defend  it. 
Care  is  required,  however,  to  admit  sufficient  air,  and 


316  ROBBERY. 

to  provide  sufficient  shade  to  prevent  a  half-melt, 
which  is  liable  to  occur  when  the  weather  is  warm. 

All  unnecessary  opening  of  hives  should  be  avoided 
at  such  times,  (and  when  required,  let  it  be  done  late 
in  the  afternoon)  as  it  confuses  them  and  allows  the 
entrance  of  spies,  who  will  appropriate  at  least  one 
load,  and  probably  return  for  more. 


HOW  A  CONQUERED  FAMILY  MAY  BE  SAVED. 

When  a  family  is  once  conquered,*  that  contains 
a  quantity  of  bees  worth  saving,  the  hive  should  be 
closed  up  till  towards  evening,  and  then  opened,  to 
allow  the  intruders  to  depart.  By  sprinkling  flour 
on  them  as  they  are  leaving,  and  observing  the  hives 
which  they  enter,  they  can  be  diverted  for  a  time 
from  their  belligerent  purpose  by  moving  their  hive 
one  or  two  feet  from  its  position,  and  uncapping  some 
honey,  to  give  them  employment  at  home. 

The  subdued  hive  may  be  kept  closed  for  one  or 
two  days,  and  then  a  small  aperture  opened  for  their 
egress  and  ingress ;  they  are  then  to  be  carefully 
watched,  to  see  if  the  attack  is  renewed.  The  hive 
should  never  be  removed  to  a  different  place,  unless 
to  the  distance  of  not  less  than  half  a  mile  ;  this  is 
found  to  be  the  most  effective  plan,  as,  by  removing 

*  That  a  conquered  hive  of  bees  incorporate  themselves  with 
the  victors,  is  mere  guess-work.  I  find  no  experiment  on  record 
to  prove  the  assertion,  and  I  have  seen  no  instance  that  would 
for  a  moment  lead  to  such  a  belief. 


CONQUERED  FAMILY — HOW  SAVED.     317 

to  a  place  remote  from  other  bees,  and  a  sufficient 
distance  from  the  original  stand  to  prevent  their  re- 
turn, they  are  left  at  peace,  to  pursue  their  labors. 
But  if  they  cannot  be  placed  at  least  half  a  mile 
from  the  stronger  stocks,  it  will  not  pay  the  trouble 
of  removal ;  it  is  then  best  to  break  them  up,  and 
add  the  remnants  to  the  next  weakest  hive.  This 
is  the  quickest  and  most  effectual  method  to  avoid 
trouble,  and  will  in  most  cases  save  additional  loss ; 
as,  when  robbers  get  a  taste,  they  are  not  content  to 
stop  their  depredations — hence,  it  is  good  policy  to 
keep  them  honest,  by  giving  no  opportunity  to  be  dis- 
honest. 


^^\~^ 

OF 

1  TJNIVBRS 

.    i...  ,.. 


CHAPTER    XXII 


OVERSTOCKING. 


CHAPTEE    XXII. 

OVERSTOCKING. 


THE  question  of  overstocking  a  country  with  bees 
is  a  very  important  one  to  all  who  are  interested  in 
bee-keeping.  •  What  is  wanted  to  be  known,  is  the 
number  of  hives  that  may  be  kept  with  the  greatest 
profit  to  their  owner,  in  any  particular  district.  As 
the  amount  of  pasturage  afforded  differs  in  each,  there 
can  be  no  fixed  number  named. 

Mr.  Langstroth  says :  "  There  is  probably  not  a 
square  mile  in  this  whole  country  which  is  overstocked 
with  bees,  unless  it  is  so  unsuitable  for  bee-keeping 
as  to  make  it  unprofitable  to  keep  them  at  all."  His 
assertion  will  hold  good  wherever  natural  swarming 
is  depended  on  as  the  means  of  increase.  Nature 
has  provided  effectual  guards  to  insure  the  continu- 
ance of  each  particular  race  of  created  things.  Hence, 
the  bee  is  endowed Vith  the  propensity  of  acquisi- 
tiveness to  such  a  degree,  that  if  not  sufficiently  grati- 
fied by  Fiord's  bounty,  it  is  turned  to  the  destruction 
of  its  weaker  neighbors  whose  stores,  though  small, 
are  borne  away  in  triumph.  Thus  the  tendency  to 
over-population  is  constantly  held  in  check.  *We 
14* 


322  OVERSTOCKING. 

also  find,  that  as  soon  as  bees  become  diffused  over  a 
country,  their  propensity  to  swarm  is  greatly  lessened ; 
regulated,  however,  to  a  certain  extent,  by  the  pro- 
ductiveness or  non-productiveness  of  the  seasons. 
If,  on  the  other  hand,  excessive  artificial  increase  is 
made,  or  unusual  numbers  concentrated  at  any  given 
point  without  a  corresponding  amount  of  pasturage, 
then,  overstocking  will  be  the  inevitable  result. 

The  distance  to  which  bees  extend  their  flight  in 
search  of  food  will  occasionally  be  three  or  more 
miles,  yet  if  compelled  to  fly  over  half  that  distance 
they  work  to  greater  disadvantage,  and  cannot  accu- 
mulate so  large  a  store,  as  when  the  pasturage  is 
within  the  latter  range. 

The  following  extract  of  a  letter  from  Mr.  Wagner, 
of  York,  Pa.,  to  Mr.  Langstroth,  published  in  "  Hive 
and  Honey  Bee,"  page  800,  shows  the  experience  of 
the  largest  cultivators  in  Europe : 

"  In  reply  to  your  inquiry  respecting  the  over- 
stocking of  a  district,  I  would  say  that  the  present 
opinion  of  the  correspondents  of  the  Bienenzeitung 
appears  to  be  that  it  cannot  readily  be  done.  Dzier- 
zon  says,  in  practice  at  least,  '  it  never  is  done.1 
And  Dr.  Radlkofer  of  Munich,  the  President  of  the 
second  Apiarian  Convention,  declares  that  his  appre- 
hensions on  that  score  were  dissipated  by  observa- 
tions which  he  had  opportunity  and  occasion  to  make 
when  on  his  way  home  from  the  convention.  I  have 
numerous  accounts  of  apiaries  in  pretty  close  prox- 
imity, containing  from  two  hundred  to  three  hundred 


OVERSTOCKING.  823 

each.  Ehrenfels  had  a  thousand  hives,  at  three 
separate  establishments,  indeed,  but  so  close  to  each 
other  that  he  could  visit  them  all  in  half  an  hour's 
ride,  and  he  says  that  in  1801  the  average  net  yield 
of  his  apiaries  was  two  dollars  a  hive.  In  Russia  and 
Hungary,  apiaries  numbering  from  two  thousand  to 
five  thousand  colonies  are  said  not  to  be  unfrequent ; 
and  we  know  that  as  many  as  four  thousand  hives  are 
oftentimes  congregated,  in  autumn,  at  one  point  on 
the  heaths  of  Germany.  Hence,  I  think  we  need 
not  fear  that  any  district  of  this  country,  so  distin- 
guished for  abundant  natural  vegetation  and  diver- 
sified culture,  will  be  very  speedily  overstocked, 
particularly,  after  the  importance  of  having  stocks 
populous  early  in  the  spring  comes  to  be  appreciated. 
A  week  or  ten  days  of  favorable  weather  at  that 
season,  when  pasturage  abounds,  will  enable  a  strong 
colony  to  lay  up  an  ample  supply  for  the  year,  if  its 
labor  be  properly  directed. 

"  Mr.  Kaden,  one  of  the  oldest  contributors  to  the 
Bienenzeitung ,  in  the  number  for  December,  1852, 
noticing  the  communication  from  Dr.  Radlkofer,  says  : 
'  I  also  concur  in  the  opinion  that  a  district  of  coun- 
try cannot  be  overstocked  with  bees,  and  that,  how- 
ever numerous  the  colonies,  all  can  procure  sufficient 
sustenance,  if  the  surrounding  country  contain  honey- 
yielding  plants  and  vegetables  in  the  usual  degree. 
Where  utter  barrenness  prevails,  the  case  is  different 
of  course,  as  well  as  rare.' ': 

The  following  extract  from  "  The  Life  of  North 


U\BR 

OF  T: 


324  OVERSTOCKING. 

American  Insects,"  by  B.  Jaeger,  published  in  1859, 
explains  why  so  many  more  bees  are  kept  in  some 
countries  than  there  are  in  others. 

"  In  some  countries,  bee  culture  has  the  preference 
before  all  other  agronomical  occupations." 

In  the  same  work  I  find  the  following :  "  There 
is  a  '  Patriotic  Apiarian  Society  of  Bavaria '  which 
is  a  most  laudable  institution,  and  its  laws  ought  to 
be  translated  into  the  language  of  every  country 
where  bees  are  known. 

"  It  is  not  permitted  for  a  peasant  to  have  his  own 
apiary,  but  a  particular  favorable  spot  is  pointed  out 
by  the  society,  in  which  the  different  proprietors 
deposit  their  hives.  This  place  is  under  the  man- 
agement of  a  skillful  apiarian,  appointed  by  the 
society ;  and  it  is  ordained  that  no  more  than  one 
hundred  and  fifty  hives  shall  be  kept  in  one  place, 
and  each  establishment  must  be  four  miles  distant. 
A  trifling  tax  is  levied  upon  each  hive  not  belonging 
to  the  society ;  and  thus  the  peasant  looks  forward, 
at  the  end  of  the  year,  to  a  certain  profit,  with  a 
very  slight  outlay,  and  without  any  demand  upon  his 
time  or  labor.  Should  a  poor  peasant  wish  to  become 
the  proprietor  of  one  or  more  hives,  he  applies  to  the 
society,  who  immediately  accede  to  his  wishes,  and 
an  annual  reduction  is  made  from  his  profits  until  the 
society  is  repaid  the  value  of  the  hive  it  has  be- 
stowed." 

Mr.  Quinby,  one  of  the  most  extensive  and  prac- 
tical bee-keepers  in  the  United  States,  gives  his 
opinion  as  follows : 


OVERSTOCKING.  325 

u  What  number  of  stocks  "  (hives  of  bees)  "  can 
there  be  kept  in  one  place  ?  is  a  question  often  asked. 
That  is  like  Mr.  A.  asking  farmer  B.  how  many  cat- 
tle could  be  pastured  on  a  lot  of  ten  acres.  Farmer 
B.  would  wish  to  know  how  much  pasture  said  lot 
would  produce,  before  he  could  begin  to  answer: 
since  one  lot  of  that  size  might  produce  ten  times  as 
much  as  another.  So  with  bees  ;  one  apiary  of  two 
hundred  stocks  might  find  honey  in  abundance  for 
all,  and  another  of  forty  might  almost  starve,  like  the 
cattle  it  depends  on  pasture." 

He  (Quinby)  further  says :  "  I  have  had  for 
several  years  three  apiaries,  about  two  miles  apart, 
averaging  in  spring  a  little  more  than  fifty  in  each. 
When  a  good  season  for  clover  occurs,  twice  the 
number  would  probably  do  equally  well,  but  in  some 
other  seasons  I  have  had  too  many,  so  that  my  aver- 
age is  nearly  right.  I  will  further  say,  that  within  a 
circle  of  three  or  four  miles  there  are  kept  about 

three  hundred  stocks." 

• 

The  following  quotation  from  Bevan  will  more  fully 
explain  the  matter : 

"  In  the  British  Isles,  in  France,  Switzerland  and 
many  other  countries,  there  are  not  only  great  vicis- 
situdes, attended  on  the  one  hand  by  parching 
droughts,  and  on  the  other  by  a  long  continuance  of 
wet  weather,  but  there  are  also  very  marked  differ- 
ences in  honey  sources,  not  only  throughout  extensive 
districts,  but  even  in  the  same  vicinity ;  and  each  of 
these  causes,  wherever  it  operates,  must  evidently 


326  OVERSTOCKING. 

produce  a  considerable  effect  upon  the  harvest  of 
honey.  To  say,  therefore,  that  a  particular  system 
of  management  will  in  any  situation  uniformly  cause 
a  great  product  of  wax  and  honey,  betokens  a  want 
of  due  attention  to  the  sources  whence  honey  is  pro- 
cured, and  attributes  to  a  system  what  is  chiefly  due 
to  the  locality  in  which  it  has  been  adopted.  There 
are  not  wanting  cases  in  which  it  has  been  necessary 
to  feed  bees  in  one  district,  at  the  very  time  that  in 
its  neighborhood  were  others  actively  engaged  in  stor- 
ing their  warehouses  with  honey.  c  M.  Huber  lived  at 
Cour,  near  Lausanne ;  he  had  the  lake  on  one  side  of 
his  domicil  and  vineyards  on  the  other.  He  soon  per- 
ceived the  disadvantage  of  his  position  (as  regarded 
his  bees).  When  the  orchards  of  Cour  had  shed 
their  blossoms,  and  the  few  meadows  in  the  neighbor- 
hood had  been  mown,  he  saw  the  stores  of  his  stock 
hives  diminish  daily,  and  the  labors  of  the  bees  cease 
so  entirely  that  even  in  summer  they  would  have  died 
of  hunger  had  he  not  succored  them.  In  the  mean- 
time, though  matters  were  going  on  so  badly  at  Cour, 
the  bees  at  Renan,  Chabliere,  at  the  woods  of  Vaux, 
of  Cery,  and  places  at  the  distance  of  only  half  a 
German  league,  were  living  in  the  greatest  abund- 
ance, threw  numerous  swarms,  and  filled  their  hives 
with  wax  and  honey.' '  Again,  Huber  himself  says : 
"  They  succeeded  no  better  at  Vevay,  although  it  is 
not  more  than  half  a  league  from  the  place  to  Hont- 
ville,  where  they  thrive  remarkably  well."  Similar 
disparities  in  the  productiveness  of  neighboring  local- 


OVERSTOCKING.  327 

ities  are  by  no  means  uncommon  in  this  country,  and 
who  can  be  so  deficient  in  discernment,  as  not  to  per- 
ceive that  the  adoption  of  any  system,  however  judi- 
cious, would  be  attended  with  different  results  in 
these  different  localities. 

We  are  informed  by  White,  that  whilst  in  the  bleak 
country  of  Cambridge,  seventy  or  eighty  hives  may 
be  seen  in  a  single  farm-yard,  supported,  no  doubt, 
by  the  neighboring  heaths,  Suffolk,  with  its  beautiful 
inclosures  and  fine  gardens,  yields  so  scanty  a  supply 
of  honey,  that  he  thought  Halton  could  not  maintain 
a  dozen  colonies. 

In  the  spring  of  1859,  my  brother  (W.  C.  Har- 
bison) and  myself  commenced,  at  our  place  situated 
three  miles  below  Sacramento  City,  on  the  east  bank 
of  the  Sacramento  river,  with  sixty-eight  colonies, 
most  of  them  weak — in  fact,  not  equal  to  half  the 
number  of  full  ones.  There  were  but  five  other  hives 
within  three  miles,  and  but  few  at  that  distance.  Up 
to  the  middle  of  May,  the  bees  had  more  pasture  than 
they  needed ;  by  that  time,  however,  the  stock  had 
been  so  largely  increased,  as  to  cause  a  perceptible 
decrease  in  the  amount  of  their  gatherings ;  we  then 
separated  the  stock,  taking  portions  to  three  other 
places,  leaving  about  one  mile  space  between  the  lots. 

The  quantity  of  honey  gathered  by  the  remaining 
stock  was  immediately  increased,  while  the  smaller 
portion  of  the  stock,  removed  to  the  greatest  distance, 
gathered  twice  as  much  as  those  of  equal  strength 
left  standing  in  the  main  apiary.  While  the  small 


328  OVERSTOCKING. 

stocks  of  twenty-five,  forty  and  fifty-nine  hives  each 
continued  to  gain  slowly  through  June,  the  large 
stock  of  upwards  of  two  hundred  hives  would  have 
rapidly  grown  lighter  but  for  liberal  feeding. 

However,  during  July  and  August  the  pasture  was 
so  abundant  as  to  afford  the  bees  all  the  honey  they 
could  gather.  But  during  September  and  October 
there  was  evidently  not  enough  pasturage  in  reach 
to  feed  so  many  bees  during  these  months ;  while 
stocks  consisting  of  from  ten  to  twenty  hives,  sold 
and  carried  from  five  to  twenty  miles  away  from  any 
other  bees,  and  in  no  better  pasturage,  but  each  bee 
having  a  large  range,  gathered  and  stored  honey 
rapidly  during  the  same  time. 

In  the  spring  of  1860  there  were  upwards  of  two 
hundred  and  twenty  hives  of  bees  located  at  differ- 
ent places,  but  confined  to  the  same  range  of  pastur- 
age that  the  bees  of  the  seventy-three  hives  were  the 
previous  year.  The  result  was,  that  the  pasture  was 
so  thoroughly  overstocked  that  constant  feeding  was 
required.  Even  with  that  assistance,  there  were  not 
over  one  hundred  and  fifty  colonies  increase,  part  of 
which  were-natural  swarms  and  the  balance  divisions. 
Although  a  number  of  full  hives  were  left  standing, 
for  the  purpose  of  making  surplus  honey,  not  one  of 
them  succeeded  in  filling  a  single  box  during  the 
whole  season.  This  great  deficiency  of  pasturage 
was,  to  some  extent,  owing  to  the  clearing  up  of  a 
considerable  quantity  of  land  that  had  afforded  pastur- 
age the  previous  year. 


OVERSTOCKING.  329 

Another  case  of  overstocking  occurred  during  the 
months  of  July  and  August,  at  a  place  seven  miles 
from  my  residence,  where  we  had  located  an  apiary 
of  one  hundred  hives,  most  of  which  had  the  main 
apartments  of  their  hives  full,  and  had  commenced 
to  fill  their  surplus  honey  boxes,  at  the  time  another 
stock  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  hives  was 
brought  from  a  distance  and  placed  a  little  over  one 
mile  from  ours,  but  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the 
same  pasturage  where  they  fed.  There  were  then 
not  less  than  four  hundred  hives  of  bees  within  a 
range  of  three  miles  long  by  one  broad.  The  result 
was,  that  our  bees  immediately  ceased  to  store  surplus 
honey  in  the  boxes,  and  were  barely  able  to  procure 
enough  to  fill  out  the  empty  combs  in  the  main  breed- 
ing apartments. 

Thus,  a  large  amount  of  honey  that  would  have 
been  obtained  from  the  stock  previously  existing  in 
that  neighborhood,  was  cut  off  by  the  large  additional 
stock  placed  in  the  same  vicinity ;  while  the  latter 
were  benefited,  to  some  extent,  by  their  new  location, 
(they  having  been  removed  from  a  place  where  all 
the  bees  were  in  a.  starving  condition,  except  where 
fed)  yet  their  gain  would  have  been  vastly  greater 
had  they  been  taken  to  an  unoccupied  pasture. 

Perhaps  the  most  remarkable  case  of  overstocking 
on  record,  occurred  in  the  city  of  Sacramento,  in  the 
year  1860.  At  the  commencement  of  the  season, 
there  were  between  eight  and  ten  hundred  hives  of 
bees  within  a  space  of  two  miles  square.  The  result 


330  OVERSTOCKING. 

was  disastrous  to  most  persons  engaged  in  the  busi- 
ness. After  being  at  a  heavy  expense  for  hives  and 
feed,  many  of  their  bees  died  from  starvation  and 
disease,  or  were  so  reduced  as  to  be  practically  worth- 


.  The  same  results  attended  bee-raising  in  the  city 
of  San  Francisco,  and  also  in  several  other  places  in 
the  State  of  California  during  the  same  year. 

It  is  true,  the  season  was  less  favorable  for  the 
production  of  honey  than  some  previous  ones  ;  yet 
wherever  a  limited  number  of  healthy  stock  was  kept 
in  the  vicinity  of  good  pasture,  they  increased  and 
made  honey  nearly  equal  to  the  average  of  previous 
years. 

The  testimony  of  such  apiarists  as  Huber,  Bevan, 
and  Quinby,  which  I  have  here  introduced,  (that  of 
others  is  not  wanting)  is  sufficient  of  itself  to  prove 
that  each  locality  has  a  capacity  to  sustain  a  certain 
number  of  bees  profitably.  Increase  that  number, 
without  a  proportionate  increase  of  pasture,  and  the 
production  of  surplus  honey  will  decrease  in  propor- 
tion to  the  increase  of  the  number  of  the  colonies. 
Bee  pasturage  can  be  increased  at  pleasure,  and  paj- 
as  large  a  profit  to  the  producer  as  any  ordinary  crop 
raised  by  the  farmer;  and  I  would  here  call  the 
especial  attention  of  the  latter  to  this  fact.  While 
all  cannot  enter  largely  into  the  business  of  bee-rais- 
ing, yet  every  owner  or  occupant  of  a  few  acres  of 
land  should  have  his  own  table  supplied  with  home- 
made lioney,  as  regularly  as  with  home-rnade  butter. 


OVERSTOCKING.  331 

There  are  unsightly  wastes  on  almost  every  farm 
where  food-producing  trees  and  plants  would  grow, 
and  pay  a  profit  for  this  one  purpose  alone ;  besides, 
it  would  add  to  the  health  and  beauty  of  the  premises. 


CHAPTER    XXIII 


TRANSPORTATION. 


\8R 

OF 

TJNIVI 


"     OF 


CHAPTER    XXIII 

TRANSPORTATION. 


"  THIS  is  a  practice  which  many  apiarians  have  re 
course  to,  for  the  purpose  of  removing  their  bees  to 
fresh  pasture,  to  districts  where  buckwheat  is  culti- 
vated, or  to  the  neighborhood  of  heaths,  or  to  any 
other  place  where  such  late-blossoming  flowers  as 
afford  honey  abound. 

"  Mr.  Isaac  assures  us  that  he  once  had  a  poor  swarm 
of  a  month's  standing,  which  only  weighed  five  pounds, 
four  ounces,  and  that  on  the  thirtieth  of  July,  he  had 
it  removed  to  Dartmoor  Heath,  from  whence  it  was 
brought  home,  two  months  afterwards,  increased  in 
weight  twenty-four  pounds  and  a  half.  He  more- 
over states  that  the  increase  of  others  that  were  sent 
there  was  nearly  proportional,  and  he  is  of  opinion 
that  the  whole  addition  was  made  during  the  month 
of  August. 

"  In  Lower  Egypt,  where  the  flower  harvest  is  not  so 
early  by  several  weeks  as  in  the  upper  districts  of 
that  country,  this  practice  of  transportation  is  car- 
ried on  to  a  considerable  extent.  About  the  end  of 
October,  the  hives,  after  being  collected  together 


336  TRANSPORTATION. 

from  the  different  villages  and  conveyed  up  the  Nile, 
marked  and  numbered  by  the  individuals  to  whom 
they  belong,  are  heaped  pyramidally  upon  the  boats 
prepared  to  receive  them,  which,  floating  gradually 
down  the  river,  and  stopping  at  certain  stages  of 
their  passage,  remain  there  a  longer  or  shorter  time, 
according  to  the  produce  which  is  afforded  by  the 
surrounding  country.  After  traveling  three  months 
in  this  manner,  the  bees  having  culled  the  perfumes 
of  the  orange  flowers  of  the  Saio,  and  essence  of 
roses  of  the  Faicum,  the  treasures  of  the  Arabian 
jessamines,  and  a  variety  of  flowers,  are  brought  back 
about  the  beginning  of  February  to  the  places  from 
which  they  had  been  carried. 

"  The  productiveness  of  the  flowers  at  each  respect- 
ive stage,  is  ascertained  by  the  gradual  descent  of  the 
boats  in  the  water,  and  is  probably  noted  by  a  scale 
of  measurement. 

"  This  industry  procures  for  the  Egyptians  delicious 
honey  and  abundance  of  beeswax.  The  proprietors, 
in  return,  pay  the  boatmen  a  recompense  proportion- 
ate to  the  number  of  hives  which  have  thus  been  car- 
ried about  from  one  extremity  of  Egypt  to  the  other. 
Latreille  states  that  between  Cairo  and  Damietta,  a 
convoy  of  four  thousand  hives  was  seen  upon  the  Nile, 
by  Niebuhr,  on  their  transit  from  the  upper  to  the 
lower  districts  of  that  country. 

"  Floating  bee-hives  were  formerly  common  also  in 
France.  One  barge  was  capable  of  containing  from 
sixty  to  a  hundred  hives  ;  which,  floating  gently  down 


TRANSPORTATION.  337 

their  rivers,  enabled  the  bees  to  gather  the  honey 
which  is  afforded  by  the  flowers  on  their  banks. 

"  Reaumur  likewise  states  that  it  has  been  the  prac- 
tice, in  some  districts,  to  transport  them  with  similar 
views  by  land,  in  vehicles  contrived  for  the  purpose. 
Feburier  tells  us  that  it  is  still  continued,  and  that 
the  environs  of  the  forest  of  Orleans  are,  at  certain 
seasons,  covered  with  bee-hives.  Mr.  Oliver,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Institute,  also  states  that  in  Provence  there 
are  honey  merchants,  who  purchase  bees  for  the  pur- 
pose of  transportation.  These  dealers  take  all  the 
honey  that  the  bees  can  spare  prior  to  setting  out, 
and  when  the  plains  can  no  longer  afford  a  supply, 
^convey  them  to  the  foot  of  the  mountains  and  sacri- 
fice them,  after  they  have  collected  their  second  har- 
vest. In  Savoy,  Piedmont,  and  other  parts  of  Italy, 
this  practice  is  also  common.  It  is,  indeed,  of  very 
ancient  origin.  Columella  speaks  of  it  as  a  very  gen- 
eral custom  among  the  Greeks,  who  used  annually  to 
send  their  bee-hives  from  Achia  into  Attica. 

"  The  practice  prevails  to  a  considerable  extent  in 
Scotland.  About  six  miles  from  Edinburgh,  at  the 
foot  of  one  of  the  Pentland  Hills,  stands  Logan  House, 
supposed  to  have  been  the  residence  of  Sir  William 
Worthy,  celebrated  by  Allen  Ramsay  in  his  c  Gentle 
Shepherd.'  This  house  is  at  present  occupied  by  a 
shepherd,  who,  about  the  beginning  of  August,  re- 
ceives above  a  hundred  bee-hives  from  his  neighbors 
resident  beyond  the  hills,  that  the  bees  may  gather 
honey  from  the  luxuriant  blossoms  of  the  mountain 
15 


388  TRANSPORTATION. 

heather.  The  present  proprietor  of  Logan  House, 
W.  Robertson,  Esq.,  informs  me  that  he  has  counted 
nearly  two  hundred  hives  in  a  season,  and  that  other 
shepherds,  in  the  neighborhood,  undertake  similar 
charges  ;  among  the  rest,  his  own  game-keeper,  who 
has  accommodation  for  fifty  or  sixty  families.  They 
remain  as  long  as  the  heather  continues  in  bloom — 
usually  rather  more  than  two  months.  'A  lover's  plaid 
and  a  bed  of  heath,'  says  the  poetical  Allen  Cun- 
ningham, fc  are  favorite  topics  with  the  northern  muse. 
When  the  heather  is  in  bloom,  it  is  worthy  of  becom- 
ing, the  couch  of  beauty.  A  sea  of  brown  blossoms, 
undulating  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  and  swarm- 
ing with  wild  bees,  is  a  fine  sight.'  Sir  Walter  Scott, 
in  his  '  Pirate,'  makes  an  Orkney  husbandman  speak 
of  having  imported  nine  skeps  of  bees,  for  the  im- 
provement of  the  country  and  for  turning  the  heather 
bloom  into  wax  and  honey. 

"These,  however,  are.  ad  vantages  which  very  few 
situations  can  afford  ;  probably  but  few  of  my  read- 
ers may  reside  in  the  neighborhood  of  heaths,  and 
still  fewer  may  be  disposed  to  incur  the  trouble  and 
expense  of  removal.  If,  therefore,  incorporation  be 
desirable  in  any  particular  case,  I  can  only  recom- 
mend that  attention  be  paid  to  supplying  the  bees 
with  proper  food,  in  a  feeding  trough,  by  the  assist- 
ance of  which  indeed,  I  should  not  be  afraid  of  car- 
rying even  a  weak  stock  very  safely  through  the 
winter  and  early  spring.  '  Give  your  bees,'  says  Mr. 
Isaac,  '  two  harvests  in  one  summer,  (alluding  to  the 


TRANSPORTATION.  339 

practice  of  transportation)  and  you  may  make  almost 
any  swarm  rich  enough  to  live  through  the  following 
winter.'  This  second  harvest  may  be  very  efficiently 
supplied  by  an  attention  to  feeding. 

"  I  ought  here  to  state,  upon  the  authority  of  Mr. 
Dunbar,  that  if  the  weather  prove  wet  and  unfavora- 
ble, as  it  did  in  the  autumns  of  1829  and  1836,  the 
transported  hives  are  sometimes  found  to  diminish  in 
weight  during  their  sojourn  on  the  moors. 

"  In  Scotland,  prior  to  the  bees  being  sent  to  col 
lect  their  second  harvest,  recourse  is  had  to  the  prac- 
tice of  drumming,  or  driving,  and  the  bees  being 
thereby  expelled  from  their  stores,  and  secured  in  a 
new  habitation,  are  sent  on  the  morrow  to  their  sta- 
tion on  the  moors,  sometimes  to  a  distance  of  fifteen 
or  twenty  miles.  There  they  remain  for  a  month  or 
six  weeks;  a  shilling  a  hive  being  the  usual  compen- 
sation to  the  shepherd  who  superintends  them. 

"  For  the  above  information,  I  am  indebted  to  Sir 
J.  G.  Dalyell,  of  Edinburgh,  the  translator  of  Hu- 
ber." — Sevan. 

The  foregoing  account  possesses  much  interest  to 
bee-keepers  in  this  country,  showing  as  it  does  the 
practices  of  those  of  other  countries. 

The  great  diversity  of  soil  and  climate  found  within 
short  distances  on  the  Pacific  slope,  furnishes  induce- 
ments ;  and  abundance  and  ease  of  communication 
by  both  land  and  water,  afford  facilities  for  the  safe 
and  speedy  transportation  of  bees  to  sources  of  fresh 
and  luxuriant  pasturage,  whenever  a  location  becomes 


340  TRANSPORTATION. 

exhausted.  Hence,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  this 
system  will  soon  be  practiced  very  extensively  ;  giv- 
ing employment  and  the  means  of  support  to  large 
numbers  of  citizens. 

By  commencing  with  a  stock  of  bees  located  on 
the  plains  or  foot  hills  of  California,  in  the  spring ; 
and  when  the  pasturage  fails,  depriving  them  of  a. con- 
siderable portion  of  their  honey,  and  then  removing 
the  stock  higher  up  in  the  mountains,  where  late  pas- 
turage abounds,  an  uninterrupted  harvest  of  honey 
can  be  secured,  insuring  large  returns  from  the  in- 
vestment. 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

WINTERING  BEES. 


Condition  Suited  to  Wintering 343 

Where  Kept  during  Winter 344 

Winter  Management * 346 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

WINTERING  BEES. 


A  HIVE  made  tight,  without  upward  ventilation, 
condenses  moisture  on  the  sides  and  top,  which  being 
absorbed  by  the  wood,  makes  it  a  conductor  of  heat 
and  cold,  and  renders  it  excessively  damp  within, 
causing  great  loss  of  bees,  and  permanent  injury  to 
the  combs. 

These  difficulties  are  now  overcome  by  attending  to 
the  condition  of  the  combs,  and  by  the  use  of  the  Cal- 
ifornia hive  in  combination  with  the  following  plans  of 
of  management  during  the  winter. 

CONDITIONS    SUITED    TO    WINTERING. 

Combs  that  have  been  used  to  rear  a  number  of 
generations  of  young,  are  the  most  suitable  to  receive 
the  winter  supplies  of  food,  and  for  the  bees  to  clus- 
ter on  during  the  winter ;  when  first  built,  the  comb 
is  nearly  white ;  at  the  emerging  of  the  first  genera- 
tion it  becomes  yellow,  and  grows  darker  and  darker 
with  each  succeeding  generation ;  each  young  bee 
leaving  a  fine  lining  or  cocoon  in  the  cell  it  emerges 


344  WINTERING   BEES. 

from.  This  serves  to  insulate  each  cell  from  adjoin- 
ing cells,  and  when  full  of  honey,  they  are  non-con- 
ductors; and  hence  the  animal  heat  is  retained. 

Comb  continues  to  improve  and  does  not  reach  the 
best  condition  to  insure  the  perfect  health  of  the  bees 
until  it  is  two  years  old.  They  will  continue  to  do 
well  with  the  same  combs  ten  years,  though  a  partial 
exchange  at  suitable  intervals  of  old  for  new  increases 
their  prosperity.  New  comb  containing  honey  is  to 
some  extent  a  conductor  of  heat,  and  is  liable  to  crack 
and  sweat  under  the  influence  of  frost  or  moisture. 
Feeding  in  this  condition  invariably  produces  dysen- 
tery, if  not  soon  relieved  by  fine  weather.  Large 
swarms  are  always  desirable  for  wintering  as  stock 
hives,  yet  if  small  ones  are  to  be  kept  over  they  will 
live  and  thrive  with  old  comb,  while  swarms  of  equal 
strength  and  the  same  amount  of  stores,  with  new 
comb,  will  perish. 


WHERE   KEPT   DURING    WINTER. 

Bees  have  their  points  of  compass,  and  can  work 
from  and  to  a  hive  as  the  farmer  does  from  and  to 
his  house ;  and  hence,  if  in  a  suitable  place,  they 
should  remain  upon  the  same  stand  winter  and  sum- 
mer. 

Winter  repositories,  such  as  cellars  or  dark  rooms, 
have  been  used  and  recommended  by  some  of  the 
most  eminent  apiarians  in  the  United  States  and  Ger- 
many. 


WHERE   KEPT   DURING   WINTER.  845 

The  advantages  claimed  for  this  system  are  that 
bees  winter  without  serious  loss  of  numbers,  and  with 
a  less  consumption  of  stores  than  if  left  on  the  sum- 
mer stand.  I  have  tried  the  plan,  and  have  found 
on  taking  them  out  in  the  spring,  that  there  was  but 
little  loss  in  numbers,  and  slight  diminution  of  stores. 
But  this  supposed  gain,  though  gratifying  for  the 
time,  never  proved  permanent.  The  large  numbers 
kept  in  the  same  room  for  several  weeks,  produces  a 
sameness  of  scent  in  all,  so  that  the  members  of  one 
hive  cannot  be  distinguished  by  those  of  another. 
This  renders  the  strong  hive  liable  to  attract  bees 
from  the  weak  ones,  leaving  a  portion  of  the  brood 
to  perish.  It  also  causes  the  comb  to  become  more 
or  less  moldy  or  rotten,  and  proves  a  permanent  dam- 
age to  the  hive.  Bees  wintered  out  of  doors,  being 
vigorous  and  ever  on  the  alert  for  a  defenceless  col- 
ony, quickly  scent  out  those  removed  from  the  repos- 
itory, and  attack  and  rob  them. 

This  practice  probably  originated  foul  brood,  and 
will  serve  to  perpetuate  it ;  for  in  the  district  where 
this  system  has  been  most  practiced,  this  disease 
most  abounds.  In  fact,  I  am  not  aware  that  the  dis- 
ease-has appeared  in  any  other  localities  except  when 
carrying  bees  or  honey  from  the  infected  districts. 
As  far  as  I  can  learn,  the  disease  only  exists  in  New 
York,  New  Jersey,  and  some  of  the  New  England 
States,  whence  it  has  been  brought  to  California,  to 
the  great  damage  of  many  apiarists  and  novices  in 
the  latter  State. 
15* 


346  WINTERING    BEES. 

WINTER   MANAGEMENT. 

About  the  first  of  December,  or  as  soon  as  the 
weather  becomes  cold,  they  should  be  protected  from 
rough  winds  and  fogs.  This  is  best  done  by  entirely 
closing  the  entrances  in  front,  and  opening  the  ven- 
tilators, and  admitting  air  through  the  ventilating 
chamber,  by  which  it  is  greatly  modified  and  freed 
from  moisture  before  reaching  the  bees ;  light  being 
excluded  (by  the  same  means)  from  entering  the 
hive,  and  the  sun  from  shining  on  it.  The  bees  are 
kept  quiet,  whereby  many  are  saved. 

It  is  very  important  to  retain  all  the  animal  heat 
within  the  hive,  whenever  the  outside  temperature  is 
below  blood  heat.  It  is*  also  important  to  provide  for 
the  escape  of  vitiated  air.  These  objects  are  best 
accomplished  by  opening  the  upper  ventilator  and 
removing  the  honey-board,  putting  in  its  place  a  cloth 
and  adding  old  clothes,  dry  moss,  or  any  substance 
that  is  an  absorbent  of  moisture,  and  at  the  same 
time  a  non-conductor  of  heat.  The  chamber  is  to 
be  partly  filled,  and  the  material  left  loose  to  allow 
the  air  to  pass  freely  through  it ;  and  when  saturated 
with  moisture  it  is  to  be  exchanged  for  dry.  A  cloth 
should  also  be  placed  between  the  glass  and  the 
•main  frames  to  remain  during  the  winter.  Whenever 
the  weather  is  sufficiently  warm  to  enable  the  bees  to 
return  in  safety,  they  should  be  permitted  to  fly  out 
as  often  as  once  a  week  through  November,  Decem- 
ber, and  a  part  of  January.  By  the  middle  of  the 
latter  month  breeding  has  commenced  to  some  extent. 


WINTER   MANAGEMENT.  347 

and  they  should  have  their  liberty  every  good  day. 
If  strict  attention  is  paid  to  closing  the  hives  when- 
ever the  weather  is  cold  and  windy,  and  opening 
them  on  the  return  of  mild  weather,  large  quantities 
of  bees  will  be  saved  which  would  otherwise  perish. 
For  further  directions  on  wintering  bees,  see 
Chapter  on  Monthly  Management. 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

MONTHLY  MANAGEMENT. 


Suited  to  Warm  Climates 352 

Suited  to  Cold    Climates..  ..365 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

MONTHLY  MANAGEMENT. 


IT  is  the  design  of  this  chapter  to  direct  the  bee- 
keeper to  such  a  course  of  treatment  as  is  best 
adapted  to  the  wants  of  the  bee  during  each  partic- 
ular month  of  the  year. 

The  reader  will  bear  in  mind  that  the  habits  and 
instincts  of  the  bee  are  the  same  in  all  countries  and 
climates ;  therefore  the  same  system  of  management 
is  applicable  to  all,  being  varied  only  to  meet  the  dif- 
ference in  climate.  In  warm  climates  the  summers 
are  long,  and  in  cold  ones  short,  the  winters  being 
vice  versa.  This  renders  two  courses  in  the  same 
system  of  treatment  necessary. 

I  therefore  propose  to  give  two  series  of  monthly 
management,  making  the  two  points  where  I  have 
had  experience,  the  bases.  Sacramento,  California, 
will  represent  such  portions  of  the  States  as  have 
but  little  snow ;  while  western  Pennsylvania,  lati- 
tude 41°  North,  longitude  3°  West  of  Washington, 
the  field  of  my  earlier  experience,  will  represent 
those  having  cold  winters,  with  frequent  snows. 

In  order  to  fully  understand  the  following  direc- 
tions, the  reader  should  first  study  the  preceding  chap- 


352  MONTHLY   MANAGEMENT. 

ters.  I  call  attention  first  to  the  management  adapt- 
ed to  a  warm  climate,  which  will  apply  to  most  parts 
of  California  and  the  Southern  States. 


SUITED  TO  WARM  CLIMATES. 
JANUARY. 

The  bees  are  now  (Jan.  1st)  in  a  state  of  repose, 
and  having  had  proper  care  in  December,  will  require 
but  little  attention  during  this  month.  They  should 
be  permitted  to  fly  occasionally,  when  the  weather  is 
sufficiently  warm  to  guaranty  their  safe  return.  The 
hives  should  be  examined,  and  all  accumulations  of 
filth,  whether  from  dead  bees  or  other  sources,  re- 
moved. This  should  be  done  so  as  to  cause  the  least 
possible  disturbance  of  the  bees.  By  the  last  of 
this  month  they  will  commence  to  carry  in  pollen, 
and  to  breed. 

Should  it  be  desirable  to  change  the  location  of 
the  apiary,  this  work  should  be  done  early  in  this 
month,  before  the  bees  have  commenced  to  work ; 
for,  if  removed  afterwards,  many  will  return  to  the 
original  stand  and  there  be  lost.  Should  there  be 
many  hives,  and  all  are  to  be  removed,  let  the  prep- 
arations be  made  beforehand,  and  all  removed  at  the 
same  time,  and  the  old  stand  taken  down,  so  that  the 
place  will  not  be  familiar  to  them.  This  will  cause 
the  bees  to  immediately  return  to  their  hive.  But 
should  a  hive  be  removed  to  a  short  distance,  and 


SUITED    TO    WARM    CLIMATES.  353 

another  of  the  same  appearance  remain  near  the 
same  spot,  many  of  the  bees  will  return  and  enter 
it,  and  remain,  to  the  great  detriment  of  the  hive  or 
hives  from  whence  they  came. 

Hives  and  honey  boxes  should  be  prepared  in  suffi- 
cient numbers  for  the  supposed  necessities  of  the 
season,  before  the  labors  commence. 


FEBRUARY. 

The  bees  are  now  at  work  carrying  home  rich 
loads  of  pollen. 

The  entrance  of  the  hive  should  be  opened  just 
enough  to  permit  the  egress  and  ingress  of  the  work- 
ers, without  room  for  the  convenient  entrance  of  rob- 
bers. 

By  the  first  of  this  month,  (February)  if  the 
stock  is  strong  and  full  of  comb  and  stores,  take  out 
a  side  comb  where  fewest  bees  cluster  (for  directions 
see  page  262)  and  plaCe  it  in  any  hive  not  full,  or  lay 
it  away  to  be  returned  where  needed  ;  now  examine 
that  adjoining,  and  if  a  portion  of  empty  worker 
comb  is  found,  place  it  next  to  that  containing  brood ; 
if  no  empty  comb  is  found,  and  the  bees  are  numer- 
ous, then  place  an  empty  frame  next  to  the  brood, 
but  keep  the  latter  compact ;  the  bees  then  construct 
comb  for  breeding,  and  in  doing  so,  consume  in- 
creased quantities  of  honey  to  enable  them  to  elab- 
orate the  necessary  wax,  and  the  cells  thus  exhausted 
furnish  room  for  more  brood. 


354  MONTHLY   MANAGEMENT. 

When  a  hive  has  not  a  large  amount  of  honey, 
no  combs  should  be  removed  till  pasturage  is  abund- 
ant, as  it  would  endanger  the  existence  of  the  hive. 

At  the  time  of  rearranging  the  combs,  be  care- 
-  ful  to  place  the  drone  comb  not  yet  occupied  with 
young  on  the  sides ;  and  where  there  are  young 
drones  found,  let  them  be  placed  next  a  store  comb 
on  one  side,  and  then  move  all  the  worker  brood  up 
to  it,  so  that  any  new  comb  to  be  built  will  be  adjoin- 
ing worker  comb,  and  more  likely  to  be  straight  and 
filled  with  worker  brood.  A  portion  of  the  honey  in 
the  projecting  or  uneven  combs  should  be  uncapped.* 
When  a  hive  is  found  to  be  destitute  of  honey,  or  in 
danger  of  becoming  so,  supply  it  at  once  with  combs 
from  another  hive.  See  Chapter  xx,  on  Feeding. 

No  hive  should  be  condemned  as  queenless  during 
this  month,  although  no  brood  is  found,  unless  there 
are  other  evidences,  or  a  search  proves  it  to  be  so. 
Yet  the  absence  of  brood  is  a  just  cause  of  suspicion, 
and  the  case  should  be  watched,  and  a  careful  exam- 


*During  the  first  warm  days  in  the  spring,  bees  sometimes 
swarm  out,  deserting  their  hives  entirely;  this  is  occasioned  by 
disease,  or  a  presentiment  of  starvation,  either  real  or  fanciful ;  I 
have  known  many  instances  §f  the  latter.  The  cause  seems  to 
be  that  their  stores  are  all  closely  sealed  up,  and  they  are  not 
really  aware  that  they  have  abundance,  but  become  alarmed  and 
rush  forth  as  above.  When  deserted  from  this  cause,  hives  may 
be  known,  either  by  their  having  but  little  honey,  or  plenty  of 
sealed  honey,  with  but  little  in  uncapped  cells ;  there  is  always 
some  brood  found  in  the  comb  in  such  cases.  The  preventive  is 
to. feed,  or  uncap  a  portion  of  the  honey  as  directed. 


SUITED    TO    WARM    CLIMATES.  355 

ination  made  from  time  to  time  till  its  condition  is 
determined.  When  two  hives  are  found  very  weak 
it  will  perhaps  be  profitable  to  unite  them,  in  which 
case  they  should  be  removed  at  least  a  mile,  and 
remain  three  or  four  weeks. 


MARCH. 

By  the  first  of  this  month  all  hives  should  be 
actively  engaged  rearing  young  and  collecting  food 
for  their  maintenance ;  in  fact,  some  hives  will  have 
added  largely  to  their  members  by  this  time,  and 
hives  not  now  found  to  have  brood  should  be  con- 
demned as  queenless,  and  either  broken  up  or  a  fer- 
tile queen  given  to  them  ;  using  the  precautions  how- 
ever, as  given  in  Chapter  xxvni,  for  Supplying 
Queens.  The  queen  in  this  case  may  be  taken  from 
a  hive,  and  a  queen  nursery  formed  for  rearing  others 
to  supply  colonies,  which  may  be  formed  as  early  as 
the  middle  of  this  month,  provided  the  drones  have 
made  their  appearance  in  considerable  numbers. 

Then  on  the  tenth  day  from  forming  the  nursery, 
take  all  the  queen  cells  from  the  hive  and  return  the 
queen  that  was  taken  away.  Give  one  of  the  cells 
to  the  hive  whence  she  was  taken.  The  queen, 
during  her  ten  days'  residence,  will  have  supplied  a 
considerable  amount  of  their  comb  with  eggs,  thus 
affording  them  profitable  employment  in  rearing  the 
young  bees  during  the  time  that  the  young  queen  is 
becoming  fruitful. 


356  MONTHLY   MANAGEMENT. 

The  remaining  queen  cells  can  be  used  to  supply 
any  colony  that  is  destitute,  or  any  new  colony  that 
may  now  be  formed. 

Much  of  the  brood  in  weak  hives  is  lost  by  cold, 
wherefore  no  time  should  be  lost  in  strengthening 
such  so  that  they  may  rapidly  increase  without  wait- 
ing for  warm  weather.  There  is  sometimes  difficulty 
in  supplying  small  colonies  with  brood  comb  so  as  to 
have  it  exactly  adjoining  that  which  they  already 
have. 

To  remedy  this,  take  from  the  weak  hive  a  comb  or 
combs  containing  brood  ;  brush  off  all  the  bees  before 
removing  it ;  then  from  a  hive  known  to  have  a  large 
quantity  of  brood,  take  one  or  two  combs  of  mature 
brood,  (according  to  the  quantity  of  bees  in  the  weak 
hive  to  cover  the  same)  and  brushing  off  all  the  bees, 
place  in  the  weak  hive  whence  the  others  have  been 
removed,  being  sure  to  place  store  combs  adjoining. 
Then  cover  the  whole  carefully  with  a  cloth,  to  retain 
the  animal  heat. 

Now  give  to  the  strong  hive  the  combs  taken  from 
the  weak  one,  and  the  exchange  (being  no  robbery) 
will  essentially  aid  the  weak  without  danger  to  the 
other.  This  plan  of  exchanging  combs  is  efficient, 
and  may  be  practiced  with  equal  success  throughout 
the  breeding  season. 

Each  weak  colony  may  be  strengthened  at  any 
time  by  adding  a  single  comb  of  mature  brood,  which 
is  preferable  to  adding  bees,  unless  they  are  young 
ones,  and  separated  from  the  old  as  directed  in  Chap- 
ter XVII. 


SUITED   TO   WARM   CLIMATES.  357 

Feeding  should  be  attended  to  during  this  month. 
In  favorable  seasons  primary  divides  may  be  made, 
and  queen  nursery  formed  during  the  latter  part  of 
the  month,  and  in  some  cases  colonies  can  be  formed 
to  good  advantage  ;  surplus  honey  boxes  may  also  be 
put  in  such  hives  as  are  full,  if  it  is  intended  to  let 
the  bees  swarm  in  the  natural  way.  The  ventilation 
should  be  gradually  increased  as  the  hives  become 
crowded  and  the  heat  increased. 


APRIL. 

The  first  swarms  issue  in  the  early  part  of  this 
month,  and  towards  the  last  of  it  many  may  be  ex- 
pected, calling  for  the  close  attention  of  the  bee- 
keeper. 

This  is  also  one  of  the  principal  months  in  which 
to  form  artificial  colonies  ;  primary  divides  are  to  be 
made  at  intervals,  so  as  to  supply  embryo  queens  in 
numbers  and  at  times  to  suit  the  condition  of  the 
stocks  to  be  divided.  The  directions  given  in  the 
Chapter  on  the  Formation  of  Colonies  will  apply  to 
this  month,  as  well  as  to  the  three  following  ones. 

MAT. 

This  is  one  of  the  principal  swarming  months,  and 
where  this  plan  of  increase  is  relied  on,  the  bees 
require  constant  watching  in  order  to  secure  the 
swarms  as  they  issue  from  the  parent  hive.  .  The 


[UN] 


358  MONTHLY    MANAGEMENT. 

formation  of  colonies,  and  the  care  required  to  build 
them  up  to  that  of  good  hives,  should  receive  the 
careful  and  prompt  attention  of  every  bee-owner; 
nothing  should  be  delayed  to  a  later  date  that  can  as 
well  be  done  during  this  month.  Where  hives  have 
been  allowed  to  store  surplus  honey,  their  boxes  will 
have  been  filled  by  or  before  the  close  of  this  month. 


JUNE. 

The  same  directions  given  for  May  will  apply  to 
this  month,  except  that  as  soon  as  the  flowers  fail, 
swarming  ceases,  and  consequently  the  formation  of 
colonies  should  be  discontinued,  unless  liberal  feeding 
is  resorted  to,  or  artificial  pasturage  be  provided  to  fill 
the  vacancy  between  the  failure  of  wild  flowers  on 
the  plains  and  the  blooming  of  the  cephalanthus,  in 
July.  See  Chapter  xx. 

The  ventilating  apertures  should  all  be  kept  open 
at  times  when  excessive  heat  prevails,  and  again  con- 
tracted on  the  return  of  cold. 

Watch  carefully  for^nd  summarily  destroy  every 
moth  and  worm  that  can  be  found  ;  in  fact,  this  should 
also  be  attended  to  at  all  times,  from  early  spring  till 
late  in  the  fall.  See  Chapter  v,  Bee-moth. 


JULY. 

Swarming  is  mostly  over  by  the  first  of  this  month, 
except  in  places  where  pasturage  abounds  and  bees 
are  not  numerous.. 


SUITED   TO    WARM    CLIMATES.  359 

But  where  cephalarithus  abounds,  the  great  honey 
harvest  commences  about  the  first  of  July.  All  col- 
onies should  be  formed  previous  to  this  time  and 
equalized,  so  as  to  insure  the  filling  of  their  hives. 
During  this  and  the  following  months,  much  care  is 
necessary  to  so  arrange  the  combs  as  to  have  them 
straight  and  uniform. 

Full  hives,  designed  for  the  accumulatiou  of  sur- 
plus honey,  should  be  supplied  with  boxes  at  once, 
and  as  fast  as  these  are  filled  and  sealed  up,  they 
should  be  removed  and  new  ones  substituted. 

The  rays  of  the  sun  should  be  excluded  from  the 
hives  with  care,  and  a  free  circulation  of  air  provided 
around  all  the  hives ;  in  fact,  the  winds  should  have 
full  sweep  in  every  direction  during  the  months  of 
June,  July,  and  August,  or  while  the  hot  weather 
continues. 

Where  pasturage  is  scarce,  feeding  will  be  required 
at  intervals,  through  this  and  the  following  months, 
or  until  there  is  pasturage. 

AUGUST. 

Swarming  is  mostly  over  previous  to  this  month ; 
there  are  places,  however,  where  occasional  swarms 
come  out  during  this  month,  but  they  are  mostly 
grand  or  great  grand  swarms. 

In  districts  where  pasturage  abounds,  there  is  as 
much  honey  gathered  and  stored  in  August  as  in  any 
other  month  in  the  year. 


360  MONTHLY   MANAGEMENT. 

The  removal  of  fall  boxes  and  supplying  of  empty 
ones  should  be  promptly  attended  to,  and  continual 
care  taken  to  so  arrange  the  combs  that  new  ones 
will  be  built  in  proper  shape. 

All  hives  that  are  not  strong  should  be  made  so 
without  delay ;  in  fact,  all  equalizing  should  be  com- 
pleted by  the  last  of  this  month.  Colonies  can  be 
formed  in  this  month  to  do  well,  where  there  are  but 
few  bees  ;  yet  it  will  in  most  cases  prove  a  loss  in  the 
end.  It  is  much  better  economy  to  permit  them  to 
make  honey  for  market ;  they  are  then  in  superior 
condition  to  endure  the  winter,  and  in  the  spring, 
one  such  hive  is  worth  as  much  as  three  weak  ones  ; 
the  attention  required  is  also  much  less  for  the  former 
than  for  the  latter. 

If  possible,  the  apiary  should  be  so  managed  that 
before  the  first  of  August  all  the  hives  should  have 
their  main  apartments  filled  with  comb  ;  for  most  of 
the  comb  built  during  the  earlier  portion  of  the  sea- 
son is  constructed  for  brood,  and  hence  will  be  straight 
and  regular.  And  also,  as  is  elsewhere  shown,  combs 
that  have  been  used  for  rearing  brood  promote  the 
health  of  the  bees  during  winter. 

Another  advantage  gained  by  this  plan  of  manag- 
ing is,  that  most  of  the  early  constructed  comb  will 
be  filled  with  honey  during  this  and  the  preceding 
months.  .This  summer-made  honey  is  usually  of  a 
much  better  quality  than  that  made  during  the  fall 
season ;  consequently,  is  a  more  wholesome  food  for 
the  bees. 


SUITED   TO    WAKM   CLIMATES.  361 

All  hives  managed  as  above,  usually  have  the  spaces 
among  the  combs,  as  well  as  the  intervening  spaces 
next  to  the  bottom  board,  literally  full  and  crowded 
with  bees.  Such  hives,  if  free  from  any  taint  of  dis- 
ease, are  the  standard  of  excellence :  while  colonies 
formed  late  in  the  season,  or  which  as  yet  have  not  filled 
their  hives,  build  their  combs  (if  at  all)  in  a  crooked, 
irregular  manner,  and  fill  them  with  dark  fall  honey, 
which  is  unwholesome,  it  being  one  of  the  causes  of 
dysentery  among  bees  during  the  winter  and  spring. 
And  again :  such  irregular  combs  cannot  be  used  for 
breeding  purposes  to  any  advantage  ;  consequently, 
such  hives,  even  if  they  do  contain  a  numerous  swarm, 
are  inferior  for  all  purposes,  and  hence  are  an  uncer- 
tain investment. 

The  directions  given  for  September,  in  the  follow- 
ing course  of  monthly  management,  will,  in  many 
localities,  apply  to  this  month  ;  while  in  others,  it  will 
apply  to  September,  and  even  to  October,  in  this 
course. 

SEPTEMBER. 

If  the  directions  given  for  August  management 
have  been  attended  to,  there  is  but  little  to  be  done 
during  the  present  month,  except  to  see  that  the  hives 
are  protected  from  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun,  to  de- 
stroy moths,  worms,  and  other  enemies  of  the  bees ; 
remove  surplus  honey,  and  insert  empty  boxes.  If 
honey  is  still  being  gathered  and  stored,  avoid,  as 
much  as  possible,  the  opening  and  removing  of  the 
16 


862  MONTHLY  MANAGEMENT. 

main  frames ;  in  fact,  they  should  not  be  removed  at 
any  time,  unless  positively  necessary,  until  the  follow- 
ing spring.  (See  directions  for  February.) 

Now  is  the  time  to  procure  materials  for  the  man- 
ufacture of  hives  and  honey  boxes  for  the  ensuing 
season.  These  should  be  made  during  the  following 
months,  when  but  little  time  is  required  among  the 
the  bees.  With  a  proper  attention  to  the  economy 
of  time,  the  apiarist  finds  more  uniformity  of  employ- 
ment and  less  seasons  of  haste — more  healthful  exer- 
cise and  less  personal  exposure  to  inclement  weather 
— than  in  almost  any  other  pursuit. 


OCTOBER. 

As  soon  as  the  weather  becomes  cool,  contract  the 
entrances,  so  that  no  more  room  is  left  than  affords  a 
free  passage  for  the  bees ;  additional  air  should  be 
admitted  through  the  ventilating  chamber ;  this  serves 
to  guard  against  the  intrusion  of  robbers  and  other 
enemies. 

Such  hives  as  are  light,  should  now  be  fed  enough 
to  last  them  until  the  return  of  spring.  Hives  which 
have  enough  provisions  to  last  them  through  the  win- 
ter, should  not  be  fed  till  they  need  it  in  the  spring. 

The  sun  may  be  permitted  to  shine  on  the  sides  of 
the  hive,  to  give  additional  warmth  to  the  bees.  To- 
wards the  last  of  this  month,  the  roof  should  be  taken 
down,  and  a  covering  placed  directly  on  the  top  of 
the  hive,  and  so  fastened  that  the  high  winter  winds 


SUITED   TO    WARM   CLIMATES.  363 

cannot  blow  it  off.  These  covers  are  to  remain  thus 
till  the  return  of  warm  weather  the  following  year, 
when  they  are  again  to  be  elevated. 

These  covers  will  not  need  to  be  removed  in  ordi- 
nary seasons  before  the  middle  of  April  or  the  first 
of  May,  when  they  are  again  to  be  elevated,  as  shown 
in  plate  xxvni. 

NOVEMBER. 

Bees  have  now  closed  their  labors,  both  in  the 
fields  and  in  their  hives,  where  they  remain  tranquil ; 
very  few  are  rearing  brood,  and  on  applying  the  ear 
to  the  hive,  scarcely  any  sound  is  perceptible.  The 
temperature  is  suffered  to  fall  to  a  much  lower  degree 
than  at  any  other  season,  and  they  remain  in  a  semi- 
dormant  state.  When  the  weather  is  warm,  they 
arouse,  and  have  a  play  once  in  every  few  days, 
especially  just  before  or  after  a  storm. 

Early  in  this  month  the  hives  should  be  prepared 
for  winter,  as  follows :  remove  all  the  surplus  honey 
boxes,  whether  full  or  not,  and  store  them  in  a  dry 
place,  until  wanted  in  the  following  spring ;  the  aper- 
tures in  the  honey-board  are  to  be  left  open.  Old 
clothes  of  any  kind,  dry  moss,  or  other  substance  that 
will  not  be  offensive  to  the  bees,  but  will  absorb  a 
large  amount  of  moisture,  is  to  be  placed  loosely  in 
the  chamber,  in  such  a  manner  that  the  steam  pass- 
ing up  through  the  apertures,  can  pass  through  and 
be  absorbed  by  the  material.  Whenever  this  becomes 
saturated,  replace  it  with  that  which  is  dry.  If  there 


864:  MONTHLY   MANAGEMENT. 

is  still  much  moisture  appearing  in  the  main  apart- 
ment, remove  the  honey-board  entirely,  and  in  its 
place  cover  with  a  cloth,  and  add  dry  material  as  be- 
fore. The  upward  ventilating  passages  are  to  be  kept 
open  during  the  winter,  and  be  partly  closed  when  the 
chamber  is  cleaned  out  in  the  spring. 

The  amount  of  air  admitted  below  is  governed  by 
turning  the  slides  on  the  sides  of  the  hive,  to  admit 
air  into  chamber  B.  If  one-half  of  each  aperture  is 
left  open,  it  will  afford  ample  air,  unless  the  bees  are 
excited  by  removal.  The  movable  slide  F  is  to  be 
taken  out,  and  the  propolis  that  the  bees  have  plaster- 
ed over  the  wire  screens  covering  the  apertures  G  G, 
melted  or  scraped  off,  and  the  slide  replaced.  The 
curtain  is  used  to  exclude  the  light  and  the  excess 
of  moisture  from  reaching  the  bees. 

The  entrances  in  front  are  to  be  entirely  closed 
during  the  prevalence  of  cold,  stormy,  and  windy 
weather ;  but  on  the  return'  of  warm  days,  they  are 
to  be  opened,  to  permit  the  bees  to  fly  out.  But  if 
this  cannot  be  attended  to,  or  if  there  is  danger  of 
neglecting  to  open  the  hives  when  it  becomes  neces- 
sary, it  is  better  not  to  close  them  ;  for  it  is  better  to 
lose  a  few  from  exposure,  than  to  endanger  the  lives 
of  the  whole  swarm. 

When  the  hives  are  properly  prepared  for  winter, 
as  above,  great  care  should  be  taken  not  to  jar  or  dis- 
turb them  in  any  way,  but  to  afford  them  the  full 
benefit  of  their  season  of  repose. 


SUITED   TO    COLD   CLIMATES.  365 

DECEMBER. 

The  hives  having  been  arranged  for  the  winter  as 
directed  in  the  previous  month,  all  that  is  required 
during  the  present  month  is  to  see  that  they  are  kept 
dry,  and  that  the  bees  have  their  liberty  occasionally. 
If  it  is  desirable  to  change  the  location  of  any  hive, 
it  may  now  be  done — keeping  them  closed,  however, 
for  about  one  week ;  after  which  the  bees  will  have 
less  propensity  to  return  to  the  original  stand.  The 
sun  should  be  permitted  to  shine  on  the  hives,  as  well 
as  on  the  ground  in  front  of  them,  during  the  fall, 
winter,  and  spring.  Straw  should  be  spread  on  the 
ground  in  front  of  the  hives,  to  enable  many  exhaust- 
ed bees,  that  would  otherwise  be  lost,  to  regain  their 
hive. 

Too  much  caution  cannot  be  observed  to  secure 
the  bees  from  any  excitement  or  interruption  of  their 
repose  during  this  and  the  preceding  month.  Much 
of  the  care  that  should  be  given  to  bees  requires  but 
little  time,  if  done  at  the  right  time  ;  and  as  the  labor 
is  light  and  sure  to  be  well  repaid,  (if  judiciously  ex- 
pended) it  will  readily  be  seen  that  pocket  interest  is 
one  of  the  incentives  to  industry. 


SUITED  TO  COLD  CLIMATES. 
JANUARY. 

*f 

The  bees  having  received  all  due  care  and  atten- 
tion in  the  fall,  to  prepare  them  to  endure  the  rigors 


366  MONTHLY   MANAGEMENT. 

of  winter,  we  should  find  them  during  this  month 
remaining  within  their  hive  happy  and  contented ; 
not  dormant,  nor  in  a  half-benumbed  state,  as  some 
suppose. 

Any  one  can  prove  this,  by  opening  a  hive  when 
the  temperature  is  very  low,  even  many  degrees 
below  zero.  The  bees  will  be  found  active  and  capa- 
ble of  flying  instantly  if  introduced  to  a  warm  atmos- 
phere. In  fact,  some  will  rush  out  and  fly  a  few  feet 
(when  they  drop  dead)  even  in  a  cold,  frosty  atmos- 
phere. Any  that  separate  from  the  cluster  at  such 
times  are  lost ;  hence  the  caution  not  to  disturb  them. 

It  is  the  nature  of  the  bee  to  fill  its  sac  with  honey 
whenever  the  hive  is  disturbed.  Excitement  or  dis- 
turbance also  induces  them  to  consume  more  food, 
which,  in  turn,  induces  impatience  to  fly  out  when 
too  cool  for  safety.  Hence,  it  is  apparent  that  the 
health  and  safety  of  bees  are  greatly  promoted  by 
being  allowed  to  remain  undisturbed  during  each 
period  of  cold  weather.  When  the  weather  becomes 
sufficiently  warm  to  allow  them  to  fly  and  return  with 
safety,  they  should  be  allowed  to  do  so  at  any  time  of 
year.  At  such  -times,  the  front  slide  should  be 
raised,  and  all  accumulations  of  dead  bees  and  filth 
removed.  * 

In  keeping  his  hives  dry,  and  in  the  manufacture 
of  hives  and  honey  boxes  for  the  coming  season,  the 
apiarian  will  find  full  employment. 


SUITED   TO    COLD    CLIMATES.  367 

FEBRUARY. 

What  has  been  said  of  January,  applies  equally  to 
this  month.  No  water*  should  be  placed  within  the 
hive  at  any  time,  unless  the  bees  are  confined  and 
forced  to  breed  during  warm  weather.  It  is  soon 
enough  in  the  season  for  them  to  have  water,  when 
they  can  go  forth  and  obtain  it  themselves. 


*  I  am  aware  that  Mr.  Langstroth  and  others  have  attempted 
to  show  that  water  is  indispensable  to  the  health  of  bees  during 
the  winter,  as  well  as  in  the  spring  and  summer.  In  this  I  differ 
with  them,  and  will  give  my  reasons.  First:  honey  and  pollen 
constitute  perfect  food  for  the  bee ;  they  will  even  live  for  months 
on  honey  alone,  though  both  seem  required  when  rearing  brood. 
Although  commencing  to  breed  in  January,  only  a  limited  amount 
of  brood  is  found  till  they  commence  flying  out  in  the  spring. 
This  is  as  it  should  be,  for  if  breeding  is  greatly  extended  at  aa 
unseasonable  time,  much  damage  is  liable  to  result  from  a  sudden 
cold  spell  occurring.  That  bees  will  take  water  when  placed  con- 
tiguous to  them,  or  even  lick  up  the  condensed  moisture  on  the 
sides  of  the  hive,  is  true;  but  that  is  no  proof  that  they  need  it, 
for  it  is  well  known  that  this  is  their  practice  for  removing  liquid 
substances  offensive  to  them.  It  is  also  well  known  that  in  a 
hive  having  proper  ventilation,  which  will  prevent  the  condensa- 
tion of  moisture  on  the  sides,  the  bees  remain  dry  and  enjoy 
superior  health,  and  are  found  to  multiply  more  rapidly  than  if 
not  well  ventilated.  And  further :  bees  carry  but  a  limited  amount 
of  water  when  they  first  gain  their  liberty  in  the  spring,  and  the- 
demand  for  it  gradually  increases  till  the  period  of  swarming, 
after  which  time  the  quantity  rapidly  diminishes,  so  that  after  the 
first  of  September  but  few  bees  are  found  to  visit  watering  places. 
The  different  management  of  bees  by  different  parties  who  shipped 
them  from  New  York  to  California,  is  proof  in  point ;  those  who 
did  not  water  or  feed  any  during  the  voyage  succeeded  much 
better  than  those  who  did  so  regularly :  this  was  the  result  as  tried 
side  by  side  on  board  ,the  same  ship. 


368  MONTHLY   MANAGEMENT. 

In  the  absence  of  a  natural  brook  or  marsh,  troughs, 
such  as  are  recommended  for  promiscuous  feeding, 
may  be  filled  with  water,  at  all  times  of  spring  and 
summer. 

MARCH. 

On  the  first,  fine  day  (that  succeeds  each  period 
of  cold)  when  bees  can  fly  out  and  return  to  their 
hives  without  being  lost,  the  front  slide  H  (see 
plate  xin)  should  be  taken  out,  and  all  dead  bees 
removed.*  The  slide  is  immediately  returned  to  its 
place,  but  elevated  three-eighths  of  an  inch  to  afford 
a  free  passage  of  the  bees  out  and  in.  The  aperture 
J  is  to  be  opened  and  kept  so  for  the  same  purpose. 
Common  hives  are  to  be  turned  up  and  cleaned  as 
above,  and  the  apertures  opened  for  the  egress  and 
ingress  of  the  bees.  The  hives  are  to  remain  open 
as  now  arranged,  as  long  as  the  weather  remains 
warm ;  but  if  cold  returns,  or  severe  winds  prevail,, 
the  entrances  should  be  again  closed  or  contracted, 
observing  that  the  ventilating  passages  are  open  to 
admit  sufficient  air. 

'  Thus  by  timely  attention  the  bees  are  preserved 
in  a  state  of  health,  and  the  lives  of  many  saved,  at 
a  time  of  year  when  they  are  particularly  valuable. 
Less  food  is  also  consumed  when  kept  in  repose  with 
the  light  excluded. 

The  hives  are  all  to  be  examined  at  the  time  that 

*  These  directions  are  also  applicable  at  all  seasons. 


SUITED   TO   COLD   CLIMATES.  369 

they  commence*  to  carry  in  pollen,  to  ascertain  if  any 
have  exhausted  their  honey,  if  so ;  their  wants  are  to 
be  supplied,  as  directed  in  Chapter  xx. 

This  is  the  time  to  rearrange  their  combs.  (See 
directions,  Chap,  xvin.)  Feeding  however  should  be 
attended  to  regularly  thereafter  until  abundant  forage 
is  found  in  the  fields ;  but  if  they  are  not  fed,  then 
defer  rearranging  their  combs  till  about  the  first  of 
April,  or  until  peach  trees  begin  to  bloom,  as  no  one 
date  will  suit  all  places,  or  even  two  seasons  in  the 
same  locality.  The  above  will  serve  as  an  unerring 
guide  to  mark  the  advance  of  the  seasons  in  all  places 
where  the  peach  tree  is  grown. 

There  is  considerable  propensity  to  rob  each  other 
during  this  month,  requiring  care  to  guard  against  it. 


APRIL. 

The  care  for  this  month  consists  in  strengthening 
weak  swarms  by  interchanging  of  combs,  as  directed 
in  Chap.  xvin.  This  is  a  suitable  month  for  transfer- 
ing  bees,  together  with  their  combs,  from  common 
chamber  and  other  hives  into  such  as  are  found  to  be* 
the  best  suited  to  the  wants  of  the  bee,  and  profitable 
to  the  bee-keeper.  A  constant  watch  should  be  kept 
to  find  and  kill  all  moths  and  worms  throughout  the 
season. 

Whenever  a  scarcity  of  pasturage  occurs,  feed 
regularly  until  it  again  becomes  plenty  ;  prepare 
16* 


370  MONTHLY    MANAGEMENT. 

hives  and  stands,  so  that  no  delay  will  occur  when 

the  season  of  swarming  arrives. 

<* 

MAY. 

Continue  to  feed  liberally  during  this  month,  or 
until  the  white  clover  and  other  sources  of  pasturage 
are  in  bloom,  at  which  time  it  is  to  be  discontinued. 
By  this  means,  each  hive  in  the  whole  stock  is  full  of 
bees,  and  the  combs  are  full  of  brood,  besides  stores 
in  reserve. 

Should  the  season  be  favorable,  primary  divides 
may  be  made  as  early  as  the  twentieth  of  this  month, 
and  in  some  places  still  earlier.  Occasional  swarms 
may  be  expected  under  favorable  circumstances,  to- 
wards the  last  of  this  month. 

JUNE. 

This  is  the  great  swarming  month,  and  is  the  busi- 
est, besides  the  most  profitable  one  to  the  bee-keeper 
in  the  whole  year,  whether  he  lets  the  bees  swarm 
the  natural  way  or  divides  them. 

Where  they  are  left  to  swarm  of  their  own  accord, 
gurplus  boxes  should  be  placed  in  the  chambers  as 
early  as  the  first  of  June.  (In  some  places  they 
should  be  put  in  one  month  earlier.)  These  boxes 
seldom  retard  the  bees  from  swarming,  and  as  they 
are  usually  filled,  or  nearly  so,  by  that  time,  are  so 
much  clear  gain. 

Bees  should  (if  not  divided)  be  constantly  watched 
during  the  whole  of  this  month,  from  eight  o'clock 


SUITED   TO   COLD    CLIMATES.  371 

A.  M.  till  four  o'clock  P.  M.,  of  each  day,  in  order  to 
secure  all  the  swarms  that  issue. 

Where  the  artificial  increase  is  relied  on,  the  ut- 
most diligence  is  required  to  form  as  many  colonies 
as  wanted  for  the  season.  This  should  be  done  early 
in  the  month,  so  that  each  may  have  a  fertile  queen 
as  early  as  the  twentieth,  and  none  to  be  later  than 
the  first  of  July. 

The  equalizing  and  interchange  of  combs  forms  a 
very  important  and  profitable  part  of  the  labors  of 
the  bee-keeper  during  this  month.  (See  Chap,  xvni.) 
Considerable  quantities  of  surplus  honey  are  usually 
made  during  this  month,  which  should  be  removed  as 
soon  as  the  combs  are  full  and  sealed  over,  and  empty 
boxes  put  in  their  place. 

The  sun's  rays  should  be  excluded  from  the  hives 
at  all  times  when  the  temperature  is  above  70°  in 
the  shade  ;  the  covering  should  be  elevated  (as  shown 
in  plate  xxvm)  in  order  to  allow  a  free  circulation 
of  air  between  the  cover  and  the  hives. 


JULY. 

In  some  places  swarming  continues  as  late  as  the 
middle  of  this  month ;  but  as  soon  as  pasturage  be- 
comes scarce,  which  it  does  in  most  places  about  this 
time,  no  more  need  be  expected. 

All  colonies  should  be  properly  organized  and  have 
their  hives  full  of  combs  and  stores  at  this  time,  and 
all  full  honey  boxes  removed.  The  bees  work  but 


372  MONTHLY   MANAGEMENT. 

little  during  the  remainder  of  the  month,  and  should 
not  be  opened  or  disturbed  during  the  hours  of  labor. 
Many  bees  are  seen  to  cluster  on  the  outside  of  the 
hive,  but  no  swarms  need  be  expected  unless  pastur- 
age is  abundant,  which  is  but  seldom  the  case  (except 
in  highly  favorable  districts)  unless  specially  prepared 
for  them. 

AUGUST. 

Where  bees  have  but  little  pasturage,  as  is  the 
case  in  many  places,  they  remain  inactive,  except 
they  are  excited  to  rob  each  other  ;  hence  it  is  wrong 
to  open  hives  so  that  the  combs  are  exposed. 

Do  not  feed  any  in  this  month,  as  it  creates  undue 
activity  that  is  injurious.  Where  buckwheat  or  other 
honey-producing  plants  are  cultivated  in  sufficient 
quantities,  bees  gather  and  store  honey  with  great 
rapidity  during  this  month ;  in  which  case,  empty 
boxes  are  to  be  supplied  and  full  ones  removed  with- 
out delay.  On  wild  lands,  where  the  golden-rod  and 
other  fall  flowers  prevail,  this  and  the  following  month 
afford  a  large  yield  of  honey  with  which  the  winter 
quarters  are  amply  stored,  besides  a  large  surplus  for 
their  owner. 

Each  hive  should  be  examined  about  the  last  of 
this  month,  to  see  that  they  have  a  queen  ;  this  can 
be  ascertained  either  by  removing  the  rear  slide  F, 
or  front  slide  H,  then  by  driving  the  bees  from  a  por- 
tion of  the  comb  it  is  readily  seen  if  there  is  worker 
brood,  this  is  a  sufficient  test ;  if  brood  cannot  thus 


ERSITY 

• 
SUITED   TO    COLD    CLIMATES. 

be  found,  then  lift  out  the  combs  to  determine  with 
certainty.  This  test  will  not  usually  apply  much 
later  in  the  season  than  the  last  of  this  month. 

SEPTEMBER. 

The  accumulation  of  honey  terminates  for  the  sea- 
son in  most  places  sometime  during  this  month.  This 
event  should  be  watched  for,  and  as  soon  as  it  occurs 
such  hives  as  are  not  wanted,  or  are  not  suitable  for 
stock  hives,  should  be  deprived  of  their  honey  and 
the  bees  united  with  those  of  other  hives  having 
abundant  stores.  (For  directions,  see  Chap,  xxvin.) 

All  refuse  combs,  particularly  those  from  which 
the  honey  has  been  drained,  may  be  put  into  a  suita- 
ble box  and  placed  in  the  honey  chamber  of  stock 
hives  for  the  bees  to  clean  up  the  remaining  honey. 
As  this  is  likely  to  incite  to  robbery,  care  must  be 
taken  to  guard  against  it.  This  is  best  done  by  clos- 
ing the  entrance  of  the  hive  and  admitting  air  through 
the  ventilating  chamber.  If  the  hive  is  kept  shaded, 
the  bees  may  be  kept  confined  for  one  or  two  days 
in  safety. 

By  prompt  attention  to  the  above,  there  will  not 
only  be  a  large  amount  of  honey  saved,  but  also  the 
lives  of  many  bees  which  would  otherwise  be  lost  in 
their  attempts  to  rob  other  hives ;  for  it  is  a  notorious 
fact  that  where  there  are  weak  hives  the  annoyance 
by  robbers  is  much  greater  than  where  the  whole 
stock  are  uniformly  strong. 


374  MONTHLY   MANAGEMENT. 

The  entrance  of  the  hives  should  be  contracted  as 
the  weather  becomes  cool ;  this  will  protect  the  bees 
from  cold,  and  enable  them  to  better  guard  against 
their  enemies.  Care  should  be  taken  to  destroy 
moths  and  thus  prevent,  in  a  measure,  a  numerous 
progeny  of  worms  in  the  following  spring. 


OCTOBER. 

The  season  of  gathering  from  flowers  is  now  mostly 
over.  .Hives  that  have  not  enough  stores  should  be 
supplied  with  full  combs,  or  fed  an  amount  that  will 
last  them  till  the  return  of  spring.  The  less  bees 
are  disturbed,  the  less  trouble  there  is  with  robbers, 
and  the  better  it  is  for  the  bees.  As  the  weather 
grows  colder,  the  entrance  should  be  reduced,  as  also 
the  ventilating  apertures. 

NOVEMBER. 

The  harvest  is  now  fully  past ;  but  few  days  dur- 
ing the  next  four  months  will  be  so  mild  or  inviting 
as  to  induce  the  bees  to  go  out  of  their  hives.  Hav- 
ing improved  the  shining  hours,  they  are  prepared  to 
safely  endure  this  long  confinement  with  comfort, 
being  surrounded  with  plenty. 

The  bee-keeper  has  now  important  duties  to  per- 
form in  preparing  his  bees  for  winter.  I  recommend 
letting  the  hives  remain  on  the  summer  stands  dur- 
ing the  winter.  Each  hive  is  to  be  arranged  as  fol- 


SUITED  TO  COLD  CLIMATES.        375 

lows  :  Remove  the  honey  boxes  ee  and  honey-board 
L ;  (these  are  to  be  placed  away  in  a  dry  and  safe 
place  until  wanted  in  the  following  spring)  then  cover 
the  tops  of  the  main  frames  K  with  a  linen  or  other 
cloth,  and  on  the  top  of  this  place  a  quantity  of  dry 
material,  such  as  old  clothes,  leaves  of  trees,  (white 
oak  is  best)  paper,  or  moss. 

The  glass  frame  k  is  to  be  taken  out,  and  a  cloth 
so  placed  that  when  it  is  reinserted,  the  cloth  inter- 
venes between  the  glass  and  the  main  frames.  The 
upper  apertures  in  the  sides  of  the  hive  are  to  be 
opened,  to  admit  a  circulation  of  air,  and  are  to  re- 
main so  till  the  following  spring ;  at  which  time  they 
should  be  partly  closed.  The  slide  JF  is  to  be  taken 
out,  and  the  propolis  removed  from  the  wire  screens 
covering  the  apertures  6r  6r ;  this  is  easily  done  if 
cold,  by  scraping,  or  if  warm,  by  fire  or  boiling  water. 

The  curtain  0  should  be  in  its  place  ;  the  apertures 
L,  in  the  sides  of  the  hive,  are  to  be  opened  about 
one-half;  this  is  done  by  turning  the  attached^covers. 
Thus,  by  the  arrangement  of  the  graduating  cham- 
ber B,  in  combination  with  the  curtain  (7,  and  air 
passages  E  and  G~  #,  air  is  admitted  to  the  bees,  while 
piercing  winds  and  light  are  excluded,  which  pre- 
serves their  vitality,  and  keeps  them  in  a  state  of  re- 
pose and  health  superior  to  any  other  known  method. 

A  quantity  of  lump  charcoal,  oak  leaves,  or  moss, 
placed  in  the  graduating  chamber  so  as  not  to  inter- 
rupt the  free  passage  of  air,  will  further  protect  the 
bees  from  moisture  and  cold. 


eS76  MONTHLY   MANAGEMENT. 

As  soon  as  the  above  arrangements  are  completed, 
the  front  entrances  are  to  be  entirely  closed,  so  that 
no  light  can  enter ;  when  it  is  desired  to  let  the  bees 
have  their  liberty,  these  can  be  opened ;  after  which 
they  are  again  closed.  Each  hive  should  be  entirely 
enveloped  with  canvas,  or  straw  bound  around,  being 
careful  not  to  obstruct  the  air  passages.  The  hives 
should  be  covered  to  keep  them  dry  and  secure,  to 
prevent  their  being  blown  over. 

Common  chamber  or  other  hives  should  have  aper- 
tures made  as  represented  in  plates  xxm  and  xxiv, 
with  ventilating  blocks  attached. 

During  winter,  all  the  apertures  should  be  kept 
closed,  and  air  admitted  through  these  ventilators, 
allowing  the  bees  to  have  their  liberty  at  suitabls  in- 
tervals during  mild  weather. 

The  hives  should  also  be  protected  by  means  of 
canvas  or  straw,  as  above  directed. 

The  advantages  gained  by  this  Arrangement  are  : 

FIRST:  A  more  equable  temperature  within  the 
hive. 

SECOND  :  Protection  from  piercing  winds  and  moist- 
ure, whereby  the  health  of  the  bees  is  greatly  pro- 
moted, and  the  texture  of  the  combs  preserved. 

THIRD  :  It  effectually  guards  against  all  danger  of 
smothering  the  bees ;  there  are  more  bees  lost  from 
the  latter  cause  than  there  are  from  worms  and  all 
other  enemies  combined. 


SUITED    TO    COLD    CLIMATES.  377 

DECEMBER. 

The  bees  having  been  arranged  as  directed  for  the 
previous  month,  the  labors  of  the  year  are  brought 
to  a  close  by  occasionally  noticing  that  the  hives  re- 
main undisturbed. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

ITALIAN  HONEY  BEE. 


Extract  from  the  California  Culturist 383 

Letter  from  A.  J.  Biglow 384 

Letter  from  S.  B.  Parsons 385 

Letter  from  Rev.  L.  L.  Langstroth 386 

Letter  from  J.  P.  Kirtland 386 

Extract  from  the  American  Agriculturist 387 

A.  J.  Biglow's  Experience 390 

Breeding  of  Italian  Bees 392 

Care  required  in  Breeding 395 


OF  THB 

TJNIVERSITT 


7,5. 


7o: 


tie*.  IT.  Baivr 


CHAPTEK    XXVI. 

ITALIAN  HONEY  BEE. 


BEES  bearing  the  above  name  have  been  imported 
into  the  United  States  from  Europe  within  the  last 
two  years.  They  are  supposed  to  be  the  same  vari- 
ety described  by  Aristotle  as  "  small  and  round  in 
size  and  shape,  and  variegated  in  color."  He  desig- 
nates this  variety  as  being  the  best  of  the  three  then 
known. 

Virgil  describes  two  kinds  as  flourishing  in  his 
time,  the  better  of  which  he  describes  "  as  spotted, 
or  variegated,  and  of  a  beautiful  golden  color." 

Plafe  XLV,  figs.  74,  75,  and  76,  represent  the 
queen,  drone,  and  worker  of  the  Italian  bee,  colored 
to  life  f'fig.  77,  the  ovary  of  a  queen. 

It  will  be  seen,  on  comparing  them  with  the  com- 
mon bee,  (plate  i)  that  color  is  the  only  distinguish- 
ing feature  between  the  two  varieties. 

Busch  describes  the  Italian  bee  as  follows  :  "  The 
workers  are  smooth  and  glossy,  and  the  color  of  their 
abdominal  rings  is  a  medium  between  the  pale  yellow 
of  straw  and  the  deeper  yellow  of  ochre.  These  rings 
have  a  narrow,  black  edge.or  border,  so  that  the  yel- 


382  ITALIAN   HONEY   BEE. 

low  (which  might  be  called  leather-colored)  consti- 
tutes the  ground,  and  is  seemingly  barrel  over  by 
these  slight  black  edges,  or  borders.  This  is  most 
distinctly  perceptible  when  a  brood  comb,  on  which 
bees  are  densely  crowded,  is  taken  out  of  a  hive. 
The  drones  differ  from  the  workers  in  having  the  up- 
per half  of  their  abdominal  rings  black  and  the  lower 
half  an  ochrey  yellow ;  thus  causing  the  abdomen, 
when  viewed  from  above,  to  appear  annulated.  The 
queen  differs  from  the  common  kind  chiefly  in  the 
greater  brilliancy  of  her  colors." 

The  following  advantages  have  been  claimed  for 
the  Italian  bee  over  the  common  kind : 

"First :  that  the  Italian  bees  are  less  sensitive  to 
cold  than  the  common  kind.  Second:  that  their 
queens  are  more  prolific.  Third:  that  the  colonies 
swarm  earlier  and  more  frequently  ;  of  this,  he  (Ber- 
lepsch)  has  less  experience  than  Dzierzon.  Fourth: 
that  they  are  less  apt  to  sting ;  not  only  are  they  less 
apt,  but  scarcely  are  they  inclined  to  sting,  though 
they  will  do  so  if  intentionally  annoyed  or  irritated. 
Fifth :  that  they  are  more  industrious.  Of  this  fact, 
he  had  but  one  summer's  experience  ;  but  all  the  re- 
sults and  indications  go  to  confirm  Dzierzon's  state- 
ments, and  satisfy  him  of  the  superiority  of  this  kind 
in  every  point  of  view.  Sixth  :  that  they  are  more 
disposed  to  rob  than  common  bees,  and  more  courage- 
ous and  active  in  self-defense.  They  strive  on  all 
hands  to  force  their  way  into  colonies  of  common 
bees  ;  but  when  strange  bees  attack  their  hives,  they 


OF  T 

UNIVERSITY 


EXTRACT  FROM  CALIFORNIA  CULTURIST. 

fight  with  great  fierceness,  and  with  an  incredible 
adroitness." 


EXTRACT  FROM  THE  CALIFORNIA  CULTURIST. 

"  During  the  last  two  years,  we  have  heard  a  great 
deal  upon  the  subject  of  the  introduction  of  the  Ital- 
ian bee,  its  superiority,  in  many  respects,  over  the 
common  black  honey  bee,  and  the  attempts  made  to 
introduce  it,  not  only  in  the  Atlantic  States,  but  in 
California.  There  is  so  often  a  disposition  to  over- 
estimate the  advantages  or  value  of  introductions 
from  foreign  countries,  with  a  view  of  obtaining  large 
or  speculative  prices  therefor,  that  we  have  watched 
the  progress  of  the  introduction  and  culture  of  the 
Italian  bee,  and  commented  upon  such  successes  as 
we  could  find  available,  rather  than  recommended  posi- 
tively anything  from  personal  knowledge.  We  believe, 
however,  that  the  superiority  of  the  Italian  bee  is  no 
longer  questionable,  even  among  apiarians  who  have 
large  stocks  of  the  common  bee  for  sale. 

"  We  take  pleasure  in  introducing  proof  of  this, 
that  those  who  may  have  been  in  doubt,  may  have 
their  doubts  removed,  and  at  once  obtain  this  superior 
breed ;  just  as  the  stock-grower  would  a  superior 
breed  of  horses,  cattle,  or  sheep. 

"Apiarians  of  the  United  States  are  generally 
aware  of  the  persevering  efforts  of  Mr.  S.  B.  Par- 
sons, of  Flushing,  L.  I.,  to  introduce  the  Italian  bee, 
and  that  his  efforts  have,  in  the  main,  been  eminently 


384  ITALIAN   HONEY   BEE. 

successful.  We  have  thought  it  might  be  interesting 
to  bee-keepers,  and  many  who  intend  to  be,  to  hear 
relative  to  the  genuineness  of  his  stock.  But  with- 
out relying  solely  upon  his  statements  in  regard  to 
the  intrinsic  merits  of  his  own  hobby,  we  give  the 
experience  of  others,  in  the  shape  of  letters,  entirely 
reliable  and  conclusive." 


LETTER  FROM  A.  J.  BIGLOW. 

EDITOR  CULTURIST  : — Knowing  that  you  have  taken  a  deep 
interest  in  the  propapation  of  the  honey  bee  in  California,  I 
have  taken  the  liberty  to  address  you  on  the  subject  of  the 
Italian  bee.  I  am  on  a  visit  to  the  Atlantic  States,  to  satisfy 
myself  whether  they  are  actually  superior  to  the  common  bee. 
I  am  fully  satisfied  that  they  are.  I  find  a  greater  difference 
between  them  and  the  common  kind,  in  their  appearance,  than 
I  expected.  The  Italians  are  truly  beautiful,  to  one  who  is  an 
admirer  of  the  industrious  little  insect.  There  are  two  or  three 
parties  who  have  imported  the  Italian  bee  from  Europe  ;  but, 
as  far  as  I  could  learn,  there  are  only  two  queens  in  this  country 
that  are  direct  from  the  mountains  of  Italy,  where  the  black 
bee  is  not  known ;  they  are  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  S.  B.  Parsons, 
of  Flushing,  N.  Y.  I  have  procured  a  few  queens  of  him,  and 
shall  use  every  effort  in  my  power  to  try  and  get  them  through 
safely  to  California.  For  their  capacity  to  gather  honey,  I 
refer  you  to  Mr.  Parsons'  statements,  and  others  to  whom  he 
refers. 

A.  J.  BIGLOW. 

NEW  YORK,  Sept.  28th,  1860. 


LETTER  FROM  S.  B.  PARSONS.       385 

LETTER  FROM  S.  B.  PARSONS. 

Having  received  sundry  requests  from  gentlemen  in  Cali- 
fornia to  supply  them  with  Italian  queens  from  the  stock  which 
I  brought  from  Italy,  I  have  made  arrangements  with  A.  J. 
Biglow,  of  Sacramento,  corner  of  Nineteenth  and  J  streets,  to 
take  out  a  number,  from  which  I  can  supply  those  gentlemen, 
and  some  others,  who  may  desire  them. 

He  is  now  preparing  the  bees,  and  will  soon  be  ready  to 
leave.  The  terms  on  which  he  can  supply  them  will  depend 
upon  his  success  in  carrying  them,  and  will  be  made  known 
soon  after  his  arrival. 

I  obtained  these  bees  in  a  section  where  no  other  race 
exists.  I  have  not  felt  like  endorsing  all  that  was  said  of 
them  by  German  writers,  until  they  had  been  tested  by  reliable 
men  here.  However  beautiful  may  be  bright  colors  and  grace- 
ful forms,  I  felt  that  these  were  of  comparatively  little  import- 
ance ;  that  the  great  question  was — Will  they  make  more 
honey  than  the  common  bee  ?  My  own  experience,  this  sum- 
mer, has  been  entirely  satisfactory  in  this  respect ;  but  I  am 
unwilling  to  rely  entirely  upon  my  own,  when  I  have  that  of 
others. 

The  following  letters  prove  conclusively  that,  the  progeny 
of  those  bees  which  came  from  Italy,  have  far  surpassed  the 
common  bee,  the  past  summer,  in  the  production  of  honey. 

One  is  from  the  Rev.  Mr.  Langstroth,  so  well  known  to  all 
bee-keepers  as  a  careful,  conscientious  man,  and  the  author  of 
the  best  work  on  bees  that  has  yet  been  written.  Another  is 
from  Dr.  J.  P.  Kirtland,  a  well  known  naturalist,  of  Ohio, 
whose  simple  word  is  sufficient  with  all  who  know  his  truthful- 
ness, his  habits  of  accurate  observation,  and  his  caution  in  giv- 
ing his  opinion  on  any  subject.  The  third  is  from  Mr.  Brackett, 
published  in  the  September  number  of  the  Agriculturist,  and 
appreciated  as  the  evidence  of  an  unbiased  man,  who  is  as 
skillful  an  apiarian  as  he  is  a  successful  sculptor. 

To  these  letters,  I  would  invite  the  attention  of  all  who  de- 
17 


386  ITALIAN   HONEY   BEE. 

sire  informati Qn  of  the  qualities  of  this  beautiful  and  industri- 
ous race. 

S.  B.  PARSONS. 
FLUSHING,  L.  I.,  Sept.  27th,  1860. 


LETTER  FROM  REV.  L.  L.  LANGSTROTH. 

I  have  three  colonies  (artificial  swarms)  to  which  Italian 
queens  were  given  in  June.  All  of  the  common  bees  appear 
to  have  died ;  and  if  we  may  judge  from  the  working  of  these 
colonies,  the  Italians  will  fully  sustain  their  European  reputa- 
tion. They  have  gathered  more  than  twice  as  much  honey  as 
the  swarms  of  the  common  bee.  This,  however,  has  been  chiefly 
gathered  within  the  last  few  weeks ;  during  which  time,  the 
swarms  of  common  bees  have  increased  but  very  little  in  weight. 
The  season  has  been  eminently  unfavorable  for  the  new  swarms, 
(one  of  the  very  worst  I  ever  knew)  and  the  prospect  is,  that 
I  shall  have  to  feed  all  of  them  except  the  Italians. 

L.  L.  LANGSTROTH. 
August  24th,  1860. 


LETTER  FROM  DR.  J.  P.  KIRTLAND. 

In  your  last  letter,  you  expressed  a  wish  to  hear  from  me 
the  result  of  my  experience  with  the  Italians,  etc. 

FIRST.  Their  disposition  to  labor  far  excels  that  of  the 
common  kind.  From  the  earliest  dawn  of  day  to  the  arrival 
of  evening,  they  are  invariably  passing  in  and  out  of  the  hive, 
and  rarely  suspend  their  work  for  winds,  heat,  or  moderate 
showers— at  times  when  not  a  solitary  individual  fcf  the  com- 
mon kind  is  to  be  seen.  Two  hours,  each  day,  their  labors 
are  extended  beyond  the  working  time  of  the  last  named  kind. 

SECOND.  Power  of  endurance,  and  especially  of  resisting 
the  impression  of  cold,  they  possess  in  a  marked  degree.  Since 


LETTER  FRC%[  DR.  KIRTLAND.       387 

the  buckwheat,  salidagoes,  and  asters  have  flowered  in  this  vi- 
cinity, the  nights  have  been  remarkably  cold.  This  low  tem- 
perature has  in  a  great  measure  suspended  the  efforts  of  the 
common  bees,  and  they  have  been  eating  their  previously  accu- 
mulated stores.  Not  so  with  the  Italians  ;  they  have  been 
steadily  accumulating  honey  anc|  bee-bread,  and  rapidly  multi- 
plying their  numbers.  They  seem  peculiarly  adapted  to  resist 
the  chilly  atmosphere  and  high  winds,  which  predominate  in 
autumn,  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Erie. 

THIRD.  Prolificness  they  equally  excel  in.  Both  my  full 
and  half-blooded  stocks  have  become  numerous  and  strong  in 
numbers,  as  well  as  in  stores,  at  this  late  season  of  the  year, 
when  the  common  kind  have  ceased  increasing,  and  have  be- 
come nearly  passive. 

FOURTH.  Their  individual  strength  is  greater;  and  this  is 
well  illustrated  in  their  prompt  manner  of  tossing  to  a  great 
distance  any  robber  that  chances  to  approach  their  hive. 

FIFTH.  Their  beauty  of  color  and  graceful  form,  render 
hem  an  object  of  interest  to  every  person  of  taste.  My  colo- 
ies  are  daily  watched  and  admired  by  many  visitors. 

SIXTH.  Of  their  moral  character,  I  cannot  speak  favorably, 
f  robbery  of  weaker  colonies  is  going  on,  these  yellow-jackets 
ire  sure  to  be  on  hand.  So  far  as  my  experience  has  gone  with 
hem,  I  find  every  statement  in  regard  to  their  superiority  sus- 
ained. 

They  will  no  doubt  prove  a  valuable  acquisition  to  locali- 
ies  of  high  altitudes ;  and  will  be  peculiarly  adapted  to  the 
limate  of  Washington  Territory,  Oregon,  and  the  mountain- 
>us  regions  of  California. 

J.    P.    KlRTLAND. 

CLEVELAND,  Ohio,  Sept.  13th,  1860. 


EXTRACT  PROM  THE  AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST. 

"  We  are  yet  unable  to  offer  any  well  founded 


388  ITALIAN   HONEY   BEE. 

opinion  as  to  whether  the  recently  imported  Italian 
bees  will  prove  really  superior  to  our  common  native 
bees,  or  not.  They  are  being  rapidly  propagated  and 
diffused  over  the  country ;  and  to  secure  this  result, 
the  main  effort  is  now  directed.  Another  season  will 
be  required  to  determine  "their  merits.  The  fact  that 
so  many  of  our  oldest  apiarians  have  considerable 
confidence  in  them,  argues  well  in  their  favor.  We 
have  watched  their  multiplication  from  a  single  swarm, 
and  if  the  rate  of  increase  be  as  great  at  other  points 
to  which  the  queens  are  being  daily  dispatched,  it  will 
not  take  long  to  fill  the  country  with  them — if  such  I 
a  consummation  be  desirable.  Below  we  give  an  ex- 
tract from  a  letter,  dated  August  10th,  written  by 
Mr.  E.  A.  Brackett,  the  well  known  sculptor,  who  is  j 
an  enthusiastic  amateur  in  bees  also.  His  suggestion  . 
in  regard  to  improving  bees,  by  care  in  selecting 
breeding  queens,  is  worthy  of  attention.  All  kinds 
of  domestic  animals  have  been  brought  to  a  much 
higher  standard,  by  special  care  in  breeding.  Why 
may  not  our  common  bees  be  in  like  manner  improved  ? 
No  attention  has  been  given  to  this  subject,  so  far  as 
we  know.  Let  some  one  of  our  bee-keepers  try  the 
experiment. 

"  Who  knows  but  that  in  a  few  years,  we  may  get  a 
race  of  bees  that  shall  rival  the  humble  bee  in  size, 
and  in  ability  to  extract  sweets  from  a  large  class  of  , 
deep-tubed  flowers,  such  as  the  red  clover,  and  others, ; 
which  are  now  useless  for  the  common  honey  bee. 
We  hope  those  who  undertake  the  enterprise,  will  re-  , 


EXTRACT  FROM  AMERICAN  AGRICULTURIST.     389 

member  to  try  to  breed  out  their  stings.  From  a 
honey  bee  of  the  size  of  the  humble  bee,  with  the 
sting  developed  in  proportion,  may  the  fates  deliver 
us.  (Speaking  of  stingless  bees,  we  may  mention 
that  our  friend  A.  0.' Moore,  Esq.,  who  recently  re- 
turned from  a  tour  of  several  months  in  Central 
•America,  brought  with  him  two  varieties  of  stingless 
bees,  which  he  left  in  our  office  for  several  days. 
They  are  quite  peculiar  and  interesting,  and  we  hope 
to  give  a  further  description  of  them,  with  engravings 
of  their  appearance,  mode  of  depositing  honey,  etc.) 
Here  is  an  extract  from  Mr.  Brackett's  letter  previ- 
ously referred  to : 

"  *  *  *  I  think  it  too  soon  to  form  any  certain  opinion 
in  regard  to  the  Italian  bees  in  this  country.  We  niust,  there- 
fore, still  in  a  great  measure,  depend  on  the  statements  of  Ger- 
man bee-keepers  ;  and  that  is  universally  in  favor  of  their  great 
superiority  over  the  black  bee.  Dzierzon  states,  that  since  he 
has  Italianized  his  apiaries,  his  yield  of  honey  has  been  double 
that  obtained  from  the  same  number  of  common  bees.  My 
experience,  thus  far,  satisfies  me  that  they  have  not  been  over- 
rated. The  queens  are  larger  and  more  prolific.  The  workers, 
when  bred  in  comb  of  their  own  building,  are  longer,  and  their 
honey  sacs  larger.  They  are  less  sensitive  to  cold,  and  more 
industrious. 

"  In  all  my  handling  of  them — and  I  have  done  so  pretty 
freely,  lifting  the  combs,  and  examining  them  almost  daily — I 
have  never  known  one  to  offer  to  sting.  A  queen  that  I  re- 
ceived in  June,  and  introduced  to  a  strong  stock  of  bees,  in 
eleven  days  filled  thirteen  sheets  of  comb  with  brood  and  eggs. 
There  is  at  present  scarcely  a  black  bee  in  the  hive,  so  rapid 
has  been  the  change.  Although  I  have  taken  from  it  large 
quantities  of  worker  brood  and  sealed  drones,  the  hive  is  still 
overflowing. 


390  ITALIAN   HONEY   BEE. 

"  Allow  me  to  suggest  to  you  an  idea  that  may  be  of  im- 
portance. These  bees  come  from  the  Italian  Alps,  where  they 
have  received  no  attention.  They  are  in  a  state  of  nature,  sus- 
ceptible, in  my  opinion,  of  great  improvement,  at  least,  as  far 
as  form  and  color  goes,  by  culture  and  careful  breeding.  In 
order  to  do  this,  they  should  be  allowed  to  build  their  own  comb, 
as  soon  as  may  be,  and  the  largest  and  best  colored  queens  be 
selected  to  breed  from  ;  avoiding  breeding  in-and-in  as  much  as 


"  I  have  received  a  letter  from  a  friend,  stating  that  one  of 
his  queens  is  quite  dark  ;  and  he  seems  troubled  about  it.  A 
little  knowledge,  if  not  a  dangerous  thing,  is  sometimes  an  un- 
comfortable one.  Any  one  at  all  familiar  with  common  black 
bees,  knows  very  well  that  their  queens  vary  much  in  color, 
and  I  see  no  reason  why  the  Italians  should  not  do  the  same, 
within  certain  limits,  and  still  be  true  to  the  race.  Those  who 
are  anxious  to  have  high-colored  queens,  must  resort  to  careful 
breeding."- 

A.   J.    BIGLOW'S   EXPERIENCE,   ETC. 

SACRAMENTO,  December  29th,  1860. 

Mr.  J.  S.  HARBISON  : — Dear  Sir.— At  your  request,  I  have 
much  pleasure  in  giving  you  what  few  items  I  have  gathered 
since  my  connection  with  the  Italian  bees,  and  my  experience 
with  them. 

Having  received  an  invitation  from  Mr.  S.  B.  Parsons  to 
become  his  agent  in  California  and  Oregon,  through  recom- 
mendation of  Eev.  L.  L.  Langstroth,  I  left  Sacramento  on  the 
first  of  September  last  for  the  Atlantic  States.  While  there, 
preparing  the  bees  for  shipment,  I  made  many  inquiries  of  dif- 
ferent apiarists  in  reference  to  different  importations  of  Ital- 
ian bees,  my  object  being  to  gather  facts  in  relation  to  them. 
The  following  items  I  find  in  the  Country  Gentleman  of 
November  1st,  which  corresponds  with  the  results  of  my  in- 
quiries. "  Richard  Colvin,  of  Baltimore,  and  Samuel  Wagner, 


A.  J.  BIGLOW'S   EXPERIENCE.  391 

of  York,  Pennsylvania,  have  made  several  attempts  to  import 
these  bees,  but  had  been  unsuccessful  until  the  autumn  of  1859, 
when  Mrj"*Colvin  succeeded  in  getting  a  few  stocks  through 
safe ;  which,  however,  did  not  survive  the  winter. 

"  Next  in  order  of  date,  is  the  importation  of  Mr.  P.  J. 
Mahan,  of  Philadelphia. 

"  In  the  spring  of  1860,  Mr.  S.  B,  Parsons,  of  Flushing,  L. 
I.,  succeeded  in  getting  a  few  stocks  alive  direct  from  Italy. 

"  The  last  successful  importation  was  by  Messrs.  Colvin  & 
"Wagner,  sometime  during  the  past  season.  Two  of  these  im- 
portations are  from  Germany,  and  one  from  Italy." 

The  Italians  that  I  have  brought  out  are  of  Mr.  Parsons ' 
importation  ;  the  queens  were  nearly  all  hatched  in  the  month 
of  September ;  some,  however,  as  late  as  October. 

I  prepared  one  hundred  and  thirteen  packages,  with  about 
one-third  of  a  swarm  of  common  bees  in  each  package,  and 
introduced  Italian  queens  as  soon  as  they  became  settled ;  the 
queens  filled  the  combs  with  eggs.  I  engaged  passage  on  the 
steamer  Ariel,  which  left  New  York  on  the  first  of  November, 
and  arrived  at  Aspinwall  on  the  ninth.  I  remained  on  the  Isth- 
mus ten  days,  and  allowed  the  bees  to  fly  five  days. 

Upon  giving  them  their  liberty,  they  immediatefy  commenced 
work,  gathering  pollen  and  honey. 

During  these  five  days,  I  examined  each  package  and  removed 
all  dead  bees.  I  found  the  brood  had  all  emerged  from  their 
cells,  and  the  queens  again  depositing  eggs  in  abundance. 

On  the  eleventh  of  November,  one  of  the  swarms  deserted  its 
hive  and  entered  one  of  its  neighbors,  which  resulted,  as  I 
ascertained  the  next  morning,  in  the  death  of  the  two  queens. 

I  divided  the  double  swarm,  and  returned  a  part  of  the  bees 
to  the  empty  package,  and  gave  them  both  a  comb  containing 
eggs,  and  shut  them  up,  and  did  not  open  them  again  until  the 
thirteenth  of  December,  when  I  found  as  perfect  a  queen  to 
all  appearance  in  each  hive  as  I  ever  saw,  and  a  large  num- 
ber of  queen  cells  that  had  been  destroyed. 

I  have  been  thus  particular  in  giving  an  account  of  this  rear- 


392  ITALIAN   HONEY   BEE. 

ing  of  queens  at  sea,  while  confined  in  their  hives,  as  it  may  be 
of  interest  to  naturalists.  No  water  was  given  to  my  bees 
during  the  voyage. 

I  sailed  from  Panama,  on  the  steamer  Uncle  Sam,  on  the 
twentieth  of  November,  and  arrived  at  San  Francisco  on  the 
morning  of  the  sixth  of  December ;  shipped  that  evening  on  the 
steamer  for  Sacramento,  where  I  arrived  on  the  seventh  inst., 
one  month  and  seven  days  from  New  York.  I  overhauled  the 
bees  as  soon  as  convenient,  and  found  one  hundred  and  eleven 
alive,  out  of  the  one  hundred  and  thirteen. 

Many  of  the  swarms  had  as  many  bees  when  I  arrived  at 
Sacramento,  as  when  I  left  New  York.  I  attribute  my  suc- 
cess to  the  rearing  of  so  many  young  bees  on  the  passage  from 
New  York,  to  San  Francisco. 

On  the  twenty-first  of  December,  I  introduced  some  twenty 
Italian  queens  into  native  stocks  of  bees,  which  I  examined 
before  removing  the  native  queen,  and  did  not  find  a  single  egg. 
Two  days  after  I  let  the  Italian  queens  out  of  their  cages,  I 
found  eggs  in  abundance. 

It  is  my  firm  conviction,  from  what  I  have  seen  and  heard  of 
these  bees,  that  they  are  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  Pacific 
coast,  especially  the  mountainous  region  of  California  and  Ore- 
gon, as  the  climate  so  nearly  resembles  that  of  their  native 
home.  Yours,  with  respect, 

A.  J.  BIGLOW. 


BREEDING    OF   ITALIAN   BEES. 

Mr.  Langstroth  says:  "The  chief  obstacle  to  the 
rapid  diffusion  of  this  valuable  variety  has  been  the 
difficulty  experienced  by  the  ablest  German  apia- 
rians in  preserving  the  breed  pure ;  even  Berlepsch 
having  failed  entirely  to  do  so."  "  From  one  Italian 
queen  sent  him  by  Dzierzon,  Berlepsch  succeeded  in 


BREEDING   OF   ITALIAN   BEES.  393 

obtaining,  in  the  ensuing  season,  one  hundred  and 
thirty-nine  fertile  young  queens,  of  which  number 
about  fifty  produced  pure  Italian  progeny." 

"  It  is  a  remarkable  fact,  that  an  Italian  queen  im- 
pregnated by  a  common  drone,  and  a  common  queen 
impregnated  by  an  Italian  drone,  do  not  produce 
workers  of  an  uniform  intermediate  cast,  or  hybrids  ; 
but  some  of  the  workers  bred  from  the  eggs  of  each 
queen  will  be  purely  of  the  Italian,  and  others  as 
purely  of  the  common  race  ;  only  a  few  of  them,  in- 
deed, being  apparently  hybrids.  Berlepsch  also  had 
several  bastardized  queens,  which  at  first  produced 
Italian  workers  exclusively,  and  afterwards  common 
workers  as  exclusively.  Some  such  queens  pro- 
duce fully  three-fourths  Italian  workers  ;  others,  com- 
mon workers  in  the  same  proportion.  Nay ;  he  states 
that  he  had  one  beautiful  orange-yellow  bastardized 
Italian  queen,  which  did  hot  produce  a  single  Italian 
worker,  but  only  common  workers,  perhaps  a  shade 
lighter  in  color.  The  drones,  however,  produced  by 
a  bastardized  Italian  queen  are  uniformly  of  the  Ital- 
ian race ;  and  this  fact,  besides  demonstrating  the 
truth  of  Dzierzon's  theory,  renders  the  preservation 
and  perpetuation  of  the  Italian  race  in  its  purity,  en- 
tirely feasible  in  any  country  where  they  may  be 
introduced."  S.  Wagner,  page  324,  in  "  Hive  and 
Honey  Bee." 

Mr.  Wagner  very  frankly  admits  that  there  are  a 
few  bees  apparently  hybrids.  This  fact,  of  itself,  is 
sufficient  evidence  of  the  inutility  of  relying  on  or 
17* 


394  ITALIAN    HONEY    BEE. 

practicing  the  theory  which  he  advances.  It  also 
proves  conclusively  to  my  mind  that  the  theory  is  not 
well  founded ;  or,  at  least,  is  of  no  practical  value. 

Mr.  Langstroth  says — p.  43,  "  Hive  and  Honey 
Bee" — that  "  all  the  leading  facts  in  the  breeding  of 
bees  ought  to  be  as  familiar  to  the  apiarian,  as  the 
same  class  of  facts  in  the  rearing  of  domestic  ani- 
mals." In  this  opinion  I  fully  concur.  Hence  I 
make  the  following  extract  from  the  same  work,  for 
the  purpose  of  correcting  what  I  conceive  would  be 
an  error  in  practice,  (though  not  in  fact)  that  ought 
never  to  have  been  recommended  to  bee-keepers. 

"  Dzierzon  found  that  a  queen  which  had  been 
refrigerated  for  a  long  time,  after  being  brought  to 
life  by  warmth,  laid  only  male  eggs,  whilst  previously 
she  had  also  laid  female  eggs.  Berlepsch  refrigerat- 
ed three  queens  by  placing  them  thirty-six  hours  in 
an  ice  house,  two  of  which  never  revived,  and  the 
third  laid,  as  before,  thousands  of  eggs,  but /row  all 
of  them  only  males  were  evolved.  In  two  instances, 
Mr.  Mahan  has,  at  my  suggestion,  tried  similar  ex- 
periments, and  with  like  results.  It  does  not  seem 
to  have  occurred  to  the  German  -apiarians  that  l>y  this 
refrigerating  process,  we  may  secure  as  many  Italian 
drones  as  we  need. 

"  All  that  is  necessary  is  to  convert  by  it  one  or 
more  of  the  queens  of  the  nuclei  into  drone  layers. 
The  reception  of  an  Italian  queen  quite  late  in  the 
season  may  thus  be  turned  to  good  account." 

Exclusively  drone  laying  queens,  as  well  as  fer- 
tile workers,  are  monstrosities ;  then  whv  seek  to 


CARE  REQUIRED  IN  BREEDING.      395 

breed  from  either  of  them  ?  Even  admitting  that  it 
were  practicable  to  do  so,  there  is  no  necessity  for  it, 
as  the  number  of  both  queens,  drones  and  workers 
that  may  be  bred  from  a  small  number  of  perfect 
queens  is  almost  without  limit. 

So  well  are  "  all  the  leading  facts  in  the  breeding 
of  bees  "  known,  that  they  are  now  increased  with 
as  much  certainty  as  that  of  any  of  our  domestic 
animals. 

CARE  REQUIRED  IN  BREEDING. 

Great  care  will  be  required  in  propagating  the 
Italian  bees,  to  keep  the  breed  pure,  or  up  to  the 
standard  of  the  imported  ones.  This  can  only  be 
done  by  removing  them  away  a  distance  of  not  less 
than  five  miles  from  all  of  the  common  kind,  for  the 
purpose  of  having  the  young  queens  impregnated  by 
Italian  drones. 

Each  person  should  commence  with  not  less  than 
two  Italian  queens,  in  order  that  the  queens  bred 
from  one  hive  may  be  impregnated  by  the  drones  of 
the  other,  and  vice  versa,  as  hereafter  directed. 

New  beginners  in  Apiarian  pursuits  will  do  well  to 
procure  full  hives,  whether  of  Italian  or  common 
bees,  with  which  to  commence  the  business. 

When  queens  are  procured  for  the  purpose  of. 
uniting  with  common  bees,  select  thrifty  hives  for 
that  purpose,  being  careful  to  remove  all  drones  and 
drone  brood,  and  supply  them  with  empty  drone  and 
worker  comb.  The  queens  are  then  to  be  united  as 
directed  in  Chapter  xxvm. 


396  ITALIAN   HONEY   BEE. 

• 

After  the  queens  become  fairly  established,  with 
both  worker  and  drone  brood  sealed  up,  with  the 
season  and  pasturage  favorable,  proceed  to  make 
primary  divides,  and  form  queen  nurseries  from  the 
two  Italian  hives  at  the  same  time,  as  directed  in 
Chapter  xvn. 

When  the  queen  cells  are  sufficiently  advanced  to 
be  used  in  supplying  to  colonies,  bees  and  comb  are 
to  be  selected  from  common  hives  in  the  usual  man- 
ner, except  that  no  drones  or  drone  brood  are  to  be 
taken  from  them,  but  in  their  stead,  drones  and  drone 
brood  are  to  be  taken  from  one  Italian  hive  and  put 
with  the  embryo  queens  taken  from  the  other,  making 
the  exchange  mutual. 

All  the  colonies  supplied  with  embryo  queens  taken 
from  one  hive  and  drones  from  the  other,  are.  to  be 
immediately  transported  to  one  place,  which  should 
be  at  least  five  miles  from  all  common  bees,  as  before 
directed,  while  all  the  colonies  formed  reversely  are 
to  be  taken  to  a  different  place.  By  this  method 
breeding  in-and-in  is  prevented,  and  at  the  same  time 
the  breed  is  kept  pure. 

As  fast  as  the  queens  become  fertile,  they  are  to 
be  taken  from  the  small  colonies  and  supplied  to  full 
hives,  and  the  colonies  again  used  to  perfect  other, 
queens  in  like  manner.  Thus  a  stock,  no  odds  how 
extensive,  may  be  quickly  and  surely  Italianized. 

It  will,  however,  be  necessary  to  Italianize  all  the 
bees  of  a  neighborhood,  to  prevent  them  crossing 
with  the  common  bee. 


CARE  REQUIRED  IN  BREEDING.      397 

Parties  having  apiaries  remote  from  all  others,  who 
will  at  once  Italianize  all  their  stock  in  the  manner 
I  have  indicated,  and  constantly  select  the  FINEST 
QUEENS  AND  DRONES  from  which  to  breed,  and  avoid 
breeding  in-and-in,  will  be  able,  not  only  to  preserve 
the  breed  equal  in  purity  to  the  imported  stock,  but 
to  improve  it. 

From  my  own  experience,  I  am  satisfied  that  the 
common  bees  are  capable  of  being  improved  in  like 
manner. 

In  closing  this  chapter  I  would  remark,  that  it  is  by 
no  means  certain  that  the  Italian  bee  will  possess  all 
the  advantages,  and  to  the  extent  claimed  for  them. 
From  the  number  scattered  over  the  country,  and  in 
different  hands,  a  few  months  will  suffice  to  decide 
the  matter. 

Let  each  person  who  tries  them,  institute  compara- 
tive experiments,  side  by  side  with  the  common  bee, 
and  thus  decide  their  merits. 

The  interest  awakened,  and  the  knowledge  ob- 
tained in  the  business  of  bee-keeping,  by  such  a 
course  of  experiments,  will  alone  more  than  repay 
for  the  trouble,  besides  advancing  an  interest  that  is 
yet  in  its  infancy. 


OP  THE 

TTNIVKRS 


CHAPTEE    XXVII. 


STINGLESS  HON^Y  BEE. 


PLATE  XLVI. 


FIGURE  78. 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 

STINGLESS  HONEY  BEE. 


A  VARIETY  of  the  honey  bee  without  stings  (to 
which  fact  their  name  is  owing)  has  long  been 
known  to  exist  in  South  America.  They  also  exist 
in  Central  America  and  Mexico. 

Dr.  Bevan,  in  his  "  Honey  Bee,"  says  :  "  It  was 
proposed  a  few  years  ago  to  import  the  stingless  bees 
into  this  country  "  (England).  "  If  such  bees  there 
be,  I  very  much  doubt  its  ever  being  attended  with 
success,  as  the  fruits  of  their  labor  must  very  soon 
become  a  prey  to  wasps  and  bees  of  the  country." 

The  subject  of  introducing  this  variety  of  bees  to 
the  United  States  has  also  been  proposed  and  dis- 
cussed, by  many  of  the  public  journals,  within  the 
last  few  years,  but  thus  far  without  any  practical 
results. 

The  following  extract  from  Bevan's  work  is  pos- 
sessed of  much  interest  in  this  connection : 

"  The  stingless  bees  are  said  to  be  inhabitants  of 
Guadaloupe,  Guinea,  etc. ;  but  their  existence  re- 
quires confirmation,  for  an  indisposition  to  wound 
affords  no  evidence  of  inability  to  do  so.  Queens 


402  STINGLESS   HONEY   BEE. 

were  formerly  supposed  to  have  no  sting.  According 
to  Sir  J.  G.  Dalyell,  there  are  bees  in  India  that  con- 
struct under  the  boughs  of  a  tree  a  single  comb  of 
very  large  dimensions"  „ 

The  most  interesting  account  of  exotic  bees  that 
I  have  met  with,  is  in  Captain  Basil  Hall's  highly  in- 
structive and  interesting  journal,  written  on  the  coast 
of  Chili,  Peru  and  Mexico,  in  1820-'21  and  '22,  of 
which  I  shall  here  give  a  transcript. 

"  From  the  Plaza,  we  went  to  a  house  where  a 
bee-hive  of  the  country  was  opened  in  our  presence. 
The  bees,  the  honey  comb,  and  the  hive  dhTer  essen- 
tially from  those  in  England.  The  hive  is  generally 
made  out  of  a  log  of  wood,  from  two  to  three  feet 
long  and  eight  or  ten  inches  in  diameter,  hollowed 
out  and  closed  at  the  ends  by  circular  doors  cemented 
closely  to  the  wood,  but  capable  of  being  removed  at 
pleasure. 

"Some  persons  use  cylindrical  hives,  made  of 
earthern-ware,  instead  of  the  clumsy  apparatus  of 
wood ;  these  are  relieved  by  raised  figures  and  cir- 
cular rings,  so  as  to  form  rather  handsome  ornaments 
in  the  verandah  of  a  house,  where  they  are  sus- 
pended by  cords  from  the  roof,  in  the  same  manner 
that  wooden  ones  in  the  villages  are  hung  to  the  eaves 
of  the  cottages. 

"  On  one  side  of  the  hive,  half  way  between  the 
ends;  there  is  a  small  hole  made  just  large  enough 
for  a  loaded  bee  to  enter,  and  shaded  by  a  projection 
to  prevent  the  rain  from  trickling  in.  In  this  hole, 


STINGLESS   HONEY  BEE.  403 

generally  representing  the  mouth  of  a  man,  or  some 
monster,  the  head  of  which  is  moulded  in  the  clay  of 
the  hive,  a  bee  is  constantly  stationed,  whose  office 
is  no  sinecure,*  for  the  hole  is  so  small,  he  has  to 
draw  back  every  time  a  bee  wishes  to  enter  or  leave 
the  hive.  A  gentleman  state'd  to  me  that  the  experi- 
ment had  been  made  by  marking  the  sentinel,  when 
it  was  observed  that  the  same  bee  continued  at  his 
post  a  whole  day. 

"  When  it  is  ascertained,  by  the  weight,  that  a  hive 
is  full, 'the  end  pieces  are  removed  and  the  honey 
withdrawn.  The  hive  we  saw  opened  was  only  partly 
filled,  which  enabled  us  to  see  the  economy  of  the 
interior  to  more  advantage.  The  honey  is  not  con- 
tained in  the  elegant  hexagonal  cells  of  our  hives, 
but  in  wax  bags  not  quite  so  large  as  an  egg.  These 
bags,  or  bladders,  are  hung  round  the  sides  of  the 
hive,  and  appear  about  half  full;  the  quantity  being 
probably  just  as  great  as  the  strength  of  the  wax 
will  bear  without  tearing.  Those  near  the  bottom, 
being  better  supported,  are  more  filled  than  the  upper 
ones."  (Mr.  Jesse,  in  his  gleanings  upon  the  au- 


*  If  the  Mexican  bees  enter  the  hives  with1  as  much  rapidity, 
and  in  as  great  numbers  as  Reaumur  states  they  do  in  this  part 
of  the  world,  it  would  indeed  be  no  sinecure.  He  observes  that 
the  population  of  a  hive  amounts  to  18,000,  and  that  a  hundred 
enter  in  a  minute  ;  if  as  many  go  out  in  the  same  time,  I  think 
the  sentinel  must  rather  stand  on  one  side  of  the  entrance  than 
within  it.  Captain  Beechey  states  that  it  withdraws  on  one  side 
to  a  recess  adapted  for  the  purpose,  and  that  a  Mexican  family 
of  bees  is  not  believed  to  amount  to  more  than  one  thousand. 


404  STINGLESS   HONEY   BEE. 

thority  of  a  naturalist  residing  in  Demerara,  states 
that  the  honey  sacs  in  the  lower  tier  rest  on  the  floor, 
and  resemble  the  broad-bottomed,  long-necked  bottles 
used  in  Holland.)  "  In  the  center  of  the  lower  part 
of  the  hive  we  observed  an  irregular  shaped  mass  of 
comb  furnished  with  cells,  like  those  of  our  bees,  all 
containing  young  ones  in  such  an  advanced  state, 
that  when  we  broke  the  comb  and  let  them  out,  they 
flew  merrily  away. 

"  The  naturalist  just  referred  to  says,  that  these 
breeding-combs  are  suspended  from  the  roof  of  the 
hive,  in  separate  pieces,  about  two  inches  in  diameter, 
and  that  the  cells  are  on  one  side  only.  Captain 
Beechey  states  that  these  combs  vary  in  their  posi- 
tion, some  being  perpendicular,  others  horizontal ; 
and  the  bees  being  smaller  than  those  of  Europe, 
the  brood  cells,  as  might  be  expected,  are  smaller 
also.  During  the  examination  of  the  hive,  the  comb 
and  the  honey  were  taken  out,  and  the  bees  disturbed 
in  every  way,  but  they  never  stung  us,  though  our 
faces  and  hands  were  covered  with  them.  It  is  said, 
however,  that  there  is  a  bee  in  the  country  which 
does  sting,  but  the  kind  we  saw  seem  to  have  neithe'r 
the  power  nor  the  inclination,  for  they^  certainly  did 
not  hurt  us,  and  our  friends  said  they  were  always 
muy  manso,  i  very  tame,'  and  never  stung  any  one. 
The  honey  gave  out  a  rich  aromatic  perfume,  and 
tasted  differently  from  ours,  but  possessed  an  agree- 
able flavor.  This  honey  does  not  readily  ferment, 
but  has  remained  perfectly  sweet  and  grateful  after 
its  importation  to  this  country." 


STINGLESS   HONEY   BEE.  405 

Mr.  A.  J.  Biglow,  the  well-known  apiarist  of  Sac- 
ramento City,  California,  while  on  his  return  from  the 
Atlantic  States,  with  Italian  bees,  in  November, 
1860,  procured  nests  of  two  varieties  of  stingless 
bees  while  on  the  Isthmus.  He  brought  them  home 
with  him,  but,  unfortunately,  all  the  bees  of  both  were 
found  dead  on  his  arrival.* 

Plate  XLVI,  fig.  78,  represents  a  side  section  view 
of  the  nest  of  the  variety  alluded  to  by  Be  van. 

aaa&YG  horizontal  tiers  of  brood  cells,  so  arranged 
that  the  young  bees  are  bred  in  a  perpendicular  di- 
rection with  the  head  upwards,  which  is  the  reverse 
position  of  wasps,  yellow-jackets,  etc. 

b  b  are  honey  pots,  composed  apparently  of  resin- 
ous gum  or  propolis,  with  a  portion  of  wax  intermixed. 
Whether  any  of  the  substance  is  an  animal  secretion, 
is  to  me  unknown.  No  allusion  is  made  to  this  par- 
ticular in  any  of  the  accoufc  which  I  have  had. 

The  pots  vary  in  size,  averaging,  however,  about 
one  inch  in  diameter  and  one  and  one-half  inches  in 
depth  ;  resembling,  somewhat,  an  egg,  with  the  large 
end  downwards. 

They  are  of  an  irregular  shape,  but  so  joined  to- 
gether as  to  leave  no  space  between  them,  and  are 
placed  so  as  to  surround  the  brood  cells. 

A  portion  of  the  pots  are  sealed  up,  while  others 
are  shown  open  at  their  tops. 


*  I  am  indebted  to  Mr.  Biglow  for  his  kindness  in  presenting 
the  nests  to  me,  for  the  purpose  of  having  drawings  taken  and 
engravings  prepared  for  this  work. 


406  STINGLESS  HONEY   BEE. 

The  color  of  the  brood  cells  is  light  brown,  while 
the  honey  pots  are  dark  brown.  The  honey  is  of  a 
slightly  reddish  tint  and  musky  flavor  ;  not  as  pleas- 
ant to  the  taste  as  common  honey.  This,  however,  is 
doubtless  owing  to  the  flowers  from  which  it  is  gath- 
ered ;  as  the  honey  gathered  by  the  Italian  bees  dur- 
ing Mr.  Biglow's  sojourn  on  the  Isthmus,  was  of  the 
same  character. 

The  stingless  bee  is  much  smaller  than  the  com- 
mon bee,  and  resembles  a  fly  almost  as  much  as  it 
does  a  bee.  d  represents  it  life  size,  and  e  the  head 
separate.  They  are  of  a  yellowish-gray  color,  hav- 
ing the  rings  of  the  abdomen  striped  ;  the  joints  or 
folds  being  yellow  and  the  centers  of  the  rings  gray. 
Their  bodies  are  thickly  set  with  fine  down-like  hair. 

I  have  made  careful  examinations,  and  find  them 
to  be  without  stings.  As  a  means  of  defense,  they 
resort  to  biting  with  th^l  jaws,  and  darting  at  their 
enemy  in  a  menacing  manner. 

This  variety  of  bee  doubtless  might  be  made  profit- 
able in  most  of  the  warm  latitudes. 

This  nest  was  found  within  a  recess  in  the  wall  of 
a  stone  building  in  the  city  of  Panama.  The  room 
in  which  the  nest  was  found,  was  also  occupied  by  a 
family  of  the  natives,  who,  together  with  the  bees, 
entered  by  the  same  door. 

The  space  occupied  by  the  nest  was  of  a  capacity 
of  about  eleven  hundred  cubic  inches ;  three-fourths 
of  which  was  occupied  by  the  honey  pots,  and  the 
balance  by  the  bees  and  brood  cells. 


STINGLESS   HONEY   BEE.  407 

The  other  variety  of  the  stingless  bee  brought  by 
Mr.  Biglow,  was  about  half  the  size  of  the  forego- 
ing. It,  however,  constructs  its  nest  in  a  somewhat 
similar  manner ;  but  it  is  mostly  made  of  mud,  in- 
stead of  propolis  and  wax.  This  nest  was  taken 
from  out  of  the  iron  railroad  bridge  spanning  the 
Gatune  River.  They  are  mostly  found  built  on  trees. 


OF  TI 

UNIVE] 


CHAPTER   XXVIII 

MISCELLANEOUS. 


Precaution  in  Supplying  Queens 411 

Uniting  Bees  of  different  families .- 412 

Fumigator 413 

Accidents 414 

New  Combs  should  be  saved 415 

Attaching  Combs  in  Honey-Boxes 415 

Further  on  Feeding .    417 

Suggestions  to  Honey  Consumers 417 

Terms  of  letting  Bees  on  Shares 418 

Preparing  Bees  for  Transportation  421 

Conclusion , 423 

18 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 


PRECAUTION   IN   SUPPLYING   QUEENS. 

IT  is  often  necessary  to  supply  queens,  either  to 
queenless  hives  or  those  made  so  by  division,  and 
exchanging  Italian  for  common  ones.  And  as  the 
bees,  in  most  cases,  will  attack  and  kill  a  stranger 
queen  when  first  introduced,  or  when  she  first  attempts 
to  enter  the  hive,  precaution  must  be  taken  to  pre- 
vent it. 

This  is  effectually  done  by  imprisoning  the  queen 
to  be  supplied  in  a  cage  (plate  xxix,  fig.  52)  made 
of  wire  cloth,  and  the  ends  closed  with  corks.  It  is 
well  to  put  a  small  amount  of  honey,  or  a  few  well- 
fed  workers,  in  the  cage  with  her ;  the  honey  should 
be  given  by  saturating  a  small  piece  of  sponge  with 
it  so  as  to  prevent  the  queen  from  getting  bedaubed. 
Then  open  the  hive  to  which  she  is  to  be  given  and 
remove  their  queen,  if  in  possession  of  one ;  this 
may  be  done  with  advantage  a  few  hours  previous  to 
supplying  the  queen,  Then  place  the  cage  contain- 
ing the  queen  within  the  cluster  of  bees,  in  order 
that  they  may  become  acquainted  and  acquire  a 
sameness  of  scent  before  she  is  allowed  her  liberty. 


412  MISCELLANEOUS. 

This  is  best  done  by  removing  a  frame  (if  the  hive 
is  full)  of  comb  from  adjoining  the  brood  and  substi- 
tuting an  empty  one  in  its  place  :  the  cage  is  then  laid 
on  the  center  bar  of  the  frame  so  that  the  bees  will 
be  sure  to  cluster  around  her.  The  door  and  lid  of 
the  hive  are  then  to  be  closed  and  kept  so  for  ten  or 
twelve  hours.  If  the  bees  are  fed  liberally  during 
this  time,  it  hastens  a  reconciliation. 

At  the  end  of  the  above  time  open  the  hive  again 
and  set  the  queen  at  liberty,  and  at  the  same  time 
observe  if  any  bees  are  disposed  to  molest  her  as  she 
mingles  among  them.  If  she  moves  off  without 
being  immediately  attacked  it  is  a  sign  that  she  is 
received,  and  the  hive  may  be  properly  arranged 
without  fear  of  failure.  But  if  attacked,  immediately 
return  her  to  her  cage  and  keep  her  confined  for 
some  time  longer,  which,  however,  need  never  exceed 
from  eighteen  to  twenty-four  hours  from  the  time  she 
is  first  imprisoned  to  ensure  a  safe  reception. 

UNITING   BEES   OF   DIFFERENT    FAMILIES. 

Bees  of  different  families  may  frequently  be  united 
with  advantage.  If  done  during  the  season  of  rapid 
breeding  and  gathering  of  honey,  they  will  generally 
unite  peaceably.  But  if  not  gathering  honey,  they 
are  liable  to  kill  one  another  ;  particularly  the  queen 
or  queens,  as  the  case  may  be,  are  liable  to  be  killed 
by  the  bees  of  the  opposite  swarms.  I  have  had 
queens  of  weak  swarms  killed  in  this  way  by  uniting 
bees  from  other  hives  with  them. 


OF  THB 

UNIVERSITY 


PLATE  XL  VII. 
tfy.79 


FUMIGATOR.  413 

A  safe  plan  for  uniting  bees,  is  to  feed  the  differ- 
ent swarms  with  all  the  food  they  will  take,  for  at 
least  one  day ;  then  select  the  queen  to  be  given  to 
them  (all  others  are  to  be  destroyed)  and  confine  her 
in  a  cage.  The  bees  to  be  united  are  then  brushed 
or  shaken  on  a  sheet  or  table  in  a  promiscuous  mass  ; 
the  hive  intended  to  receive  them  being  provided 
•with  comb  and  suitable  stores,  they  are  allowed  to 
enter  the  same  as  an  ordinary  swarm.  The  impris- 
oned queen  is  to  be  placed  in  a  position  so  that  the 
bees  are  sure  to  cluster  around  her,  and  after  being 
confined  for  about  ten  hours,  to  be  set  at  liberty. 

If  the  bees  to  be  united  have  occupied  the  same 
apiary,  it  is  necessary  to  either  keep  them  confined 
for  four  or  five  days ;  or,  what  is  better,  remove  them 
after  being  united  to  the  distance  of  about  one  mile, 
which  will  prevent  them  returning  to  the  familiar 
spot. 

A  very  good  way  to  unite  bees  would  be  to  confine 
one  part  in  a  box,  having  one  side  of  wire  cloth,  and 
place  it  in  the  hive  with  the  ones  to  which  they  are 
to  be  united,  on  the  same  principle  that  queens  are 
supplied. 

FUMIGATOR. 

Plate  XLVII,  fig.  79,  represents  a  machine  for 
producing  and  using  smoke  to  conquer  bees  with,  in 
an  easy  and  efficient  manner,  and  also  to  guard 
against  the  danger  of  fire. 

a  is  a  common  hand  bellows,  to  which  is  attached 


414  MISCELLANEOUS. 

tube  b.  The  tube  is  made  of  sheet  iron,  ten  inches 
long  and  two  inches  in  diameter ;  fine  wire  screen  is 
securely  fastened  within  the  tube  at  the  dotted  line 
<?,  being  within  three-fourths  of  an  inch  of  the  end 
where  attached.  This  wire  is  to  prevent  fire  being 
communicated  to  or  being  drawn  into  the  bellows. 

d  is  a  cap  made  to  slip  over  the  lower  end  of  tube 
5,  with  a  fastening  to  hold  it  in  place  ;  wire  screen  is 
also  fastened  inside  of  the  cap,  as  indicated  by  the 
dotted  line  e ;  holes  are  made  in  the  cap  as  repre- 
sented at/. 

Fig.  80  is  a  hollow  cylinder  made  of  coarse  wire 
screen,  around  which  cotton  stuff  is  to  be  rolled,  as 
represented  in  fig.  81. 

This  roll  is  then  inserted  into  tube  b  (fig.  79)  and 
after  it  is  set  on  fire,  the  cap  is  adjusted ;  then,  by 
working  the  bellows,  air  is  drawn  through  the  tube, 
and  the  smoke  is  blown  out  and  among  the  bees  as 
wanted. 

ACCIDENTS. 

Accidents,  (so  called)  such  as  having  a  hive 
thrown  over  or  the  comb  broken  down  while  being 
transported,  sometimes  occur. 

The  best  way  to  proceed  in  such  cases  is  to  open 
the  hive,  transfer  the  combs,  or  so  much  of  them  as 
are  fit,  to  frames,  in  the  same  manner  as  directed  in 
Chapter  xix,  which,  together  with  the  bees,  are  to 
be  placed  in  an  empty  hive  as  there  directed.  The 
remaining  honey  should  be  fed  to  them  as  fast  as 


ATTACHING  COMBS  IN  HONEY  BOXES.    415 

they  can  store  it  away,  being1  always  careful  to  guard 
against  robbery. 


NEW  COMBS  SHOULD  BE  SAVED. 

New  combs,  or  such  as  have  not  been  used  for 
rearing  brood,  may  frequently  be  procured,  as  in  case 
of  uniting  small  swarms,  or  from  honey  boxes  partly 
full.  At  the  close  of  the  season,  any  combs  con- 
taining unsealed  honey  should  be  given  to  the  bees 
for  the  purpose,  both  of  augmenting  their  stores,  and 
having  the  combs  cleaned  out.  All  such  combs  are 
valuable  and  should  be  carefully  saved  till  the  follow- 
ing season,  at  which  time  they  are  to  be  used  for 
attaching  in  surplus  honey  boxes. 


ATTACHING  COMBS  IN  HONEY  BOXES. 

Combs  may  be  attached  in  the  honey  box  with 
great  advantage  and  profit.  The  boxes  are  first  to 
be  completed,  except  attaching  the  bottom ;  the 
combs  are  then  cut  into  pieces  of  a  size  ranging 
from  an  inch  square  up  to  six  inches,  according  to 
the  amount  on  hand,  and  the  number  of  boxes  re- 
quired by  the  stock.  Now  take  the  boxes  into  a 
room,  or  expose  them  to  the  sun  till  they  become 
quite  warm  ;  the  combs  to  be  inserted  are  to  be  kept 
cool,  to  prevent  their  being  injured  in  handling. 
Having  the  boxes  and  combs  all  in  readiness 


416  MISCELLANEOUS. 

either  by  the  blaze  of  a  candle  or  bright  coals  of 
fire,  melt  the  edge  of  the  comb  to  be  attached,  so 
that  on  being  stuck  to  the  wood  where  wanted,  it  will 
adhere. 

Another  way  is  to  have  melted  wax  and  dip  the 
edge  of  the  comb  into  it,  and  then  suddenly  stick  it 
where  wanted.  The  wax  should  be  barely  liquid ; 
otherwise,  a  sufficient  quantity  will  not  adhere  to  the 
comb  to  make  it  stick.  A  little  practice  will  be  re- 
quired to  determine  the  right  temperature. 

All  the  combs  put  into  a  box  should  be  of  the  same 
size,  and  placed  parallel  with  each  other,  with  the 
centers  an  inch  and  a  half  apart. 

In  putting  combs  into  section  honey  boxes,  the  sec- 
tions should  first  be  made  ready  to  be  coupled  together. 
Combs  about  one  inch  square  are  then  to  be  attached 
to  the  center  of  each  frame,  so  as  to  be  square  with 
it  when  extended. 

The  advantages  gained  by  thus  using  combs  are : 
First:  an  amount  of  wax,  and  labor  of  the  bee 
equal  to  the  quantity  of  comb  so  supplied,  is  saved. 
Second :  the  bees  are  induced .  to  commence  work  in 
boxes  so  supplied  sooner  than  they  otherwise  would. 
TJiird :  the  combs  are  built  straight  and  even,  and 
in  the  desired  direction. 

The  above  advantages,  either  separately  or  com- 
bined, are  of  great  importance,  and  should  receive 
the  careful  attention  of  every  bee-keeper. 


SUGGESTIONS  TO  HONEY-CONSUMERS.  417 

FURTHER  ON  FEEDING. 

At  the  close  of  the  year,  there  are  always  honey 
boxes  that  are  but  partially  filled ;  the  honey  being 
mostly  uncapped  is  unfit  for  market,  and  is  not  profit- 
able for  table  use.  Such  boxes  should  be  put  away 
in  a  dry  place,  and  excluded  from  the  air  as  much  as 
possible,  until  the  opening  of  the  following  spring ; 
at  which  time  they  should  be  distributed  to  such 
hives  as  are  most  in  need  of  food.  The  bees  will 
consume  the  honey  and  leave  the  combs  to  be  refilled 
when  the  honey  season  arrives. 

This  is  a  safe  and  easy  way  of  feeding,  and  less 
likely  to  excite  robbery  than  any  other  plan  that  can 
be  practiced.  It  also  economizes  in  the  item  of  combs. 

SUGGESTIONS  TO  HONEY-CONSUMERS. 

Honey,  like  butter,  is  frequently  very  untidily  han- 
dled. It  is  mainly  owing  to  this  cause  that  honey  in 
the  comb  is  more  sought  for  than  that  which  is  strained. 

Owing  to  the  filthy  habit  of  some  people  in  smok- 
ing and  using  it  to  drive  the  bees  from  the  honey,  the 
latter  is  frequently  so  tainted  with  the  fumes  of  tobac- 
co as  to  be  perceptible  both  to  the  scent  and  taste, 
although  the  honey  may  be  perfectly  sealed  within 
the  comb. 

In  straining  honey,  it  is  frequently  subjected  to 

heat,  whereby  the  pollen  and  the  impurities  of  the 

old  combs  used  a  part  of  each  season  for  rearing 

brood  are  set  at  liberty,  and  become  incorporated 

17* 


OF  TTTB 


418  MISCELLANEOUS. 

with  the  honey,  rendering  it  both  impure  and  of  bad 
flavor. 

On  the  other  hand,  honey  that  is  separated  from 
the  combs  while  at  a  low  temperature,  and  without 
pressure  or  use  of  water,  and  with  all  the  appliances 
used  in  the  process,  kept  clean  as  well  as  SWEET,  will 
retain  the  fine  aroma  peculiar  to  all  good  honey.  Air 
should  be  excluded  as  much  as  possible  from  honey, 
as  it,  together  with  cold,  causes  it  to  candy. 

Honey  will  keep  good  for  many  years.  As  an  illus- 
tration of  this  fact,  my  brother  (A.  Harbison)  had  a 
small  box  filled  with  honey  during  the  month  of  Au- 
gust, 1845 ;  in  November,  1859,  it  still  remained 
perfectly  good. 

There  are  large  quantities  of  honey  produced  in 
the  West  India  Islands,  and  imported  into  the  United 
States,  as  well  as  to  Europe,  where  it  is  known  as 
Cuba  honey.  It  is  generally  impure,  owing  mainly 
to  bad  handling  and  adulterations.  Being  had  at  a 
low  price,  it  is,  after  being  clarified,  canned  up  and 
labelled  "  pure  honey"  and  thrown  into  market. 

There  has  been  considerable  honey  imported  from 
Mexico  to  California  within  the  past  year  or  two,  and 
sold  at  a  low  price.  It  appears  to  be  of  a  better 
quality  than  the  Cuba  honey,  but  will  never  compete 
successfully  with  that  made  in  California,  Oregon, 

and  Washington  Territory. 

\ 

TERMS   OF  LETTING  BEES   ON   SHARES. 

As  it  frequently  happens  that  persons  wish,  either 


TERMS  OF  LETTING  BEES  ON  SHARES.    419 

to  let  or  take  bees  on  shares,  the  enquiry  is  often 
made  as  to  what  the  terms  should  be.  I  therefore 
propose  to  state  the  terms  usually  made  in  such 
cases. 

FIRST.  The  party  letting  bees  takes  the  risk  of 
their  dying,  unless  it  results  from  inattention  or  care- 
lessness, during  the  period  for  which  they  are  let. 

The  party  taking  the  bees  to  transport  them  to 
the  place  where  they  are  to  be  kept,  furnish  the  nec- 
essary enclosure,  shades,  hives  for  swarms,  and 
attend  to  keeping  the  stocks  in  good  order ;  watch 
for  and  hive  the  swarms  as  they  issue  ;  in  short,  per- 
form all  the  labor  required  during  the  period  of  two 
years. 

At  the  end  of  that  time  (unless  otherwise  agreed 
by  the  parties)  the  original  stock,  together  with  half 
their  increase  and  products  to  revert  to  their  original 
owner ;  who,  in  turn,  bears  the  expense  of  their  re- 
moval. The  other  half  of  the  increase  and  pro- 
ducts to  belong  to  the  party  having  them  in  charge. 
The  above  terms  have  been  most  common,  and 
properly  apply  where  bees  are  managed  on  the  old 
system,  viz :  keeping  them  in  ordinary  straw  or  box 
hives,  letting  them  swarm  as  the  means  of  increase, 
and  killing  the  bees  to  get  their  honey. 

If  the  bees  are  in  good  condition  at  the  time  of 
letting,  the  first  year  will  be  in  favor  of  the  party 
taking  them,  the  second  year  the  advantages  would 
be  about  equal,  and  the  third  year  in  favor  of  the 
party  letting  them.  Consequently,  two  years  would 


420  MISCELLANEOUS. 

be  fair  for  both  parties.  If  extended  to  a  third,  each 
party  should  be  at  an  equal  expense  for  the  hives 
needed  during  said  year. 

SECOND.  Where  bees  are  kept  in  chamber  or 
other  hives,  in  which  honey  boxes  are  used  for  ob- 
taining the  honey,  the  terms  are  as  follows : 

If  let  for  one  year,  the  party  letting  the  bees  to 
find  the  honey  boxes  for  the  hives  let,  to  remove  and 
to  have  all  the  honey  made  in  said  boxes,  together 
with  the  original  hives  at  the  end  of  the  year. 

The  party  taking  the  bees  to  furnish  and  to  do  all 
the  things  named  in  terms  No.  1,  the  parties  to  share 
equally  in  the  swarms  and  their  products  during  or 
at  the  end  of  the  year. 

If  let  for  two  years,  then  the  party  taking  the 
bees  to  furnish  and  to  do  all  the  things  named  in 
terms  No.  1,  together  with  honey  boxes  for  the  orig- 
inal stock  during  the  first  year  ;  but  during  the  second 
year,  to  find  all  the  hives  for  the  swarms  and  half  the 
honey  boxes  for  the  whole  stock,  the  party  letting 
the  bees  furnishing  the  other  half. 

The  parties  to  share  equally  all  the  honey  made 
by  the  bees,  both  of  the  old  stock  and  the  swarms 
during  said  period.  At  the  end  of  the  two  years, 
the  swarms  to  be  divided  equally  between  the  parties, 
and  the  original  stock  to  revert  as  before. 

And  if  let  for  a  third  year,  then  the  terms  to  be 
the  same  as  named  for  two  years,  except  that  during 
the  third  year  each  party  shall  furnish  their  respect- 
ive share  of  the  hives. 


PREPARING  FOR  TRANSPORTATION.     421 

THIRD.  Where  bees  are  kept  and  managed  by  a 
skillful  bee-keeper,  competent  to  manage  them  on 
scientific  principles,  the  terms  for  the  first  year  should 
be  as  follows : 

The  party  letting  the  bees  to  furnish  in  addition 
half  of  the  hives  and  boxes,  and  the  party  taking 
them  the  other  half,  together  with  sheds,  and  to 
give  all  necessary  attention.  At  the  close  of  the 
season,  a  hive  of  bees  for  each  original  one,  and 
equally  full,  to  belong  exclusively  to  the  person  let- 
ting said  bees,  and  the  increase  to  be  divided  equally 
between  the  parties.  The  above  terms  would  also 
apply  if  extended  to  two  years. 

There  are  but  few  practical  bee-keepers,  however, 
who,  having  the  means  to  purchase,  will  take  bees  on 
shares,  as  the  labor  of  such  devoted  to  the  business 
can  be  made  to  yield  a  return  equal  in  value  to  the 
stock,  such  as  can  be  attended  during  a  season,  is 
worth  at  its  commencement. 

Where  bees  are  let  to  an  inexperienced  person, 
and  the  necessary  oversight  furnished  to  secure  their 
proper  care  and  increase,  then  the  terms  should  be 
varied  accordingly,  or  other  recompense  be  made  by 
the  party  having  the  bees  on  shares,  equal  to  the 
amount  of  assistance  rendered. 


PREPARING  BEES  FOR  TRANSPORTATION. 

In  preparing  bees  for  transportation  two  things  are 
essential. 


422  MISCELLANEOUS. 

FIRST.  To  confine  them  within  the  hive  so  as  to 
prevent  their  escape,  while  being  transported,  other- 
wise there  is  great  danger  of  their  attacking  the 
team  used  in  their  removal. 

SECOND.  To  give  the  bees  sufficient  air  to  prevent 
their  smothering  during  confinement. 

The  quantity  of  air  required  depends  on  the  num- 
ber of  bees  and  brood  in  a  hive,  and  also  on  the 
temperature  of  the  atmosphere.  If  the  ordinary 
chamber  or  box  hive  is  used,  it  should  be  inverted 
a*nd  wire  cloth  tacked  over  the  mouth,  the  hive  to 
remain  in  the  same  position  until  it  arrives  at  its  des- 
tination ;  it  is  then  to  be  turned  right  side  up  and  set 
on  the  stand,  and  the  bees  allowed  their  liberty. 

But  if  the  Langstroth  hive  is  used,  it  is  to  be  kept 
in  the  usual  position  ;  after  fastening  the  frames  to 
keep  them  from  rubbing  together,  wire  cloth  is  to  be 
tacked  over  the  apertures  in  the  honey-board,  and 
also  over  the  entrance  passage  in  front. 

To  prepare  the  California  hive  for  transportation, 
all  that  is  ordinarily  wanted  is  to  turn  the  ventilating 
blocks  so  as  to  admit  air,  and  fasten  them  to  prevent 
their  turning  out  of  their  places,  and  close  the  en- 
trance passage  to  confine  the  bees. 

But  should  the  hive  be  crowded  with  bees,  together 
with  a  large  quantity  of  brood,  and  the  weather 
warm,  then  the  front  slide  (H)  should  be  removed 
and  wire  cloth  tacked  over  the  opening,  which  not 
only  affords  ample  air,  but  additional  room  for  the 
bees.  The  passages  leading  to  the  honey  boxes 


CONCLUSION.  423 

should  be  left  open  to  allow  the  bees  to  ascend.  The 
hive  must  be  kept  in  an  upright  position  at  all  times. 
In  addition  to  ventilation,  hives  of  every  descrip- 
tion should  be  kept  well  shaded  from  the  sun,  and  a 
free  circulation  of  air  allowed  around  them  during 
the  confinement  of  the  bees.  With  the  above  pre- 
cautions, together  with  careful  handling,  bees  may  be 
transported  long  distances,  at  all  seasons  of  the  year, 
with  perfect  safety. 


CONCLUSION. 

The  reader  who  has  had  the  patience  to  follow  me 
thus  far,  and  who  has  either  commenced  the  business 
of  bee-keeping  or  intends  to  do  so,  may  here  be  re- 
minded that  all  who  commence  are  riot  successsful ; 
neither  are  all  successful  in  any  other  pursuit.  "  It 
has  been  said  that  three  out  of  five  who  commence 
an  apiary,  must  fail." 

Why  is  it  so  ?  In  most  cases,  it  is  owing  to  a  lack 
of  knowledge  of  the  business.  It  is  useless  to  incur 
expense  in  the  purchase  of  stock  arid  the  preparation 
of  fixtures,  unless  sufficient  knowledge  is  obtained  to 
enable  one  to  properly  manage  the  apiary,  and  suffi- 
cient energy  and  perseverance  exercised  to  continue 
the  management  with  efficiency. 

Notwithstanding  the  cause  of  such  failures  is  self- 
evident,  people  are  frequently  heard  to  say :  "  1 have 
no  luck  with  bees."  "  It  is  no  use  for  me  to  try  to 
keep  bees,  for  I  have  tried  them  ONCE,  and  they  did 
no  good." 


424  MISCELLANEOUS. 

There  should  be  no  such  words  as  either  luck  or 
fail  in  the  bee-keeper's  vocabulary  ;  there  is  none 
such  practically.  "  Good  luck  "  (so  called)  either 
results  from  the  possession  and  application  of  knowl- 
edge of  the  business,  or  the  inherent  vigor  of  the 
bees,  favored  by  a  genial  season :  while  "  bad  luck" 
is  always  traceable  either  to  ignorance,  sloth,  an  un- 
genial  season,  or  a  combination  of  those  causes. 

Superstitious  notions  concerning  the  honey  bee  ex- 
ist in  the  minds  of  some  people,  which  have  served 
to  retard  the  business  of  bee-keeping.  Namely :  that 
it  is  wrong  to  sell  bees — that  luck  will  be  lost  there- 
by ;  that  if  a  member  of  a  family  dies,  the  bees  will 
do  no  good,  unless  they  are  informed  of  the  fact,  the 
hives  turned  upside  down,  or  some  other  equally 
absurd  performance  gone  through  with. 

There  are  many  others,  but  the  above  are  sufficient 
to  illustrate  the  idea. 

The  light  of  science  is  rapidly  removing  the  incu- 
bus from  everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  man ; 
leaving  reason  to  rule  in  its  stead,  and  pointing  out 
clearly  the  road  to  success ;  so  that  it  need  no  longer 
happen  that  three  persons  out  of  five,  nor  one  out  of 
ten,  who  commence  an  apiary,  must  fail. 

The  business  of  bee-keeping,  perhaps  more  than 
any  other  branch  of  agriculture,  requires  a  knowledge 
of  Nature  and  her  laws,  in  order  to  make  it  success- 
ful in  a  pecuniary  point  of  view.  The  pursuit  of 
such  knowledge  always  affords  one  of  the  most  pleas- 
ing studies,  and  serves  to  ennoble  and  better  the  con- 
dition of  mankind. 


INDEX. 


A. 

PAGE. 

Accidents 414 

Adjustable  Comb-Frame  Invented « 

JEscalonia  for  Pasture 177 

African  Hive 139 

After-Management. 242 

After- Swarming,  Signs  of. 237 

Alfilarela  for  Pasture 172 

American  Agriculturist,  Extract  from 387 

Analysis  of  E»ees-wax 227 

Anatomical  Views 47 

Ants,  Enemies  of  Bees 116 

Ants,  How  to  drive  away 117 

Apiary,  Choice  of  Ground  for 182 

Apiary,  Location  of 181 

Appleton,  F.  G.,  Letter  from 37 

April  Monthly  Management  suited  for  Warm  Climate 357 

April  Monthly  Management  suited  for  Cold  Climate 369 

Attaching  Combs  in  Honey  Boxes 415 

August  Monthly  Management  suited  for  Warm  Climate 359 

August  Monthly  Management  suited  for  Cold  Climate 372 


Basket,  Swarm 247 

Basswood  for  Pasture 174 

Bears  destroy  Bees 105 

Bee-Boxes,  Bevan's 145 

Bee-Bread 211 

Bee-Gum 132 

Bee-Keeping,  Experience  in 27 

Bee  Moth 108 

Bee  Shades 182 

Bees,  Classes  of  in  a  Family 47 

Bees  Fertilize  Plants 214 

Bees  Fly  Westward 245 

Bees  Harbingers  of  Civilization 246 

Bees,  How  Tamed 122 

Bees  Introduced  into  California 37 

Bees,  Italian,  Breeding 392 

Bees,  Management  of  in  Winter 346 


426  INDEX. 


Bees  not  Injurious  to  Plants 215 

Bees,  Number  of  in  Hive 163 

Bees,  Taming 121 

Bees,  Stingless 401 

Bees,  Stingless  brought  to  California 405 

Bees,  Transportation  of 39 

Bees,  Transportation  of. 335 

Bees,  Transportation  of  in  Egypt 336 

Bees,  Transportation  of  in  Scotland 337 

Bees,  Uniting  Different  Colonies  of. 412 

Bees-Wax,  Analysis  of 227 

Bees- Wax  an  Article  of  Commerce 228 

Bees-Wax,  For  what  used 225 

Bees- Wax,  How  Obtained 227 

Bees- Wax,  How  to  Test  its  Quality 225 

Bees-Wax,  Of  what  Composed 225 

Bees-Wax,  Quantity  of  in  a  Hive 228 

Bees-Wax,  Uses  of 226 

Bees-Wax,  Where  mostly  Produced 229 

Bees- Wax,  White 225 

Bees,  Wintering,  Conditions  Suited  to 343 

Bees,  Wintering,  Place  of 344 

Bees,  Writers  on 16 

Beware  of  Disease 164 

Biglow,  A.  J.,  Letter  from 384 

Biglow,  A.  J. ,  Experience  with  Italian  Bees 390 

Birds  that  Catch  Bees 107 

Blackberry  as  Pasture 172 

Boxes,  Collateral  Honey 199 

Boxes,  How  to  Remove  when  Full 201 

Boxes,  Packing  for  Market 203 

Box-Hives 136 

Breeding  Italian  Bees 392 

Breeding  Italian  Bees,  Care  required  in 395 

Breeding,  Temperature  necessary  for 182 

Briggs,  Wm.,  Imported  Bees  in  1856 38 

Brood 163 

Brood,  Foul 44 

Brood,  Foul 86 

Brood,  Foul 90 

Brood,  Foul 91 

Brood,  Foul 92 

Brood,  Foul 93 

Brood,  Foul 94 

Brood,  Foul 95 

Brood  in  Honey  Boxes 202 

Buck,  Wm. ,  Second  Importer  of  Bees  to  California 38 

Buckeye  as  Pasture 174 

Buckwheat  as  Pasture 173 

C 

Cabbage  as  Pasture 171 

Cage  for  Queen 185 

California  Culturist,  Extract  from 383 


INDEX.  427 


California,  First  Tour  to 31 

California  Hive,  Description  of 150 

California  Hive,  Invention  of 33 

California,  Honey  Bee  introduced  into 37 

Cause  of  Robbery 314 

Cause  of  Swarming 233 

Cause  of  Swarming  out  Discovered 41 

Caution  in  Feeding 309 

Cells,  Economy  of 279 

Cells,  Form  of 278 

Cephalanthus  as  Pasture 175 

Chamber  Hives 136 

Chamber  Hives  Improved 155 

Chilled  Brood 95 

Choice  of  Stock 161 

Clamp,  Metallic,  Invention  of 34 

Classes  of  Bees  in  a  Family 47 

Classes  of  Bees  in  a  Family 73 

Cocoon  Described. 58 

Cocoon,  Time  of  Spinning 60 

Cold,  Exposure  of  Hive  to,  bad 281 

Collateral  Honey  Boxes 199 

Colonies,  After  Management  of. 271 

Colonies,  Formation  of 267 

Colonies,  Form  from  Strong  Hives  only 268 

Colonies,  How  Formed 268 

Colonies  should  be  Removed  from  Apiary 273 

Colonies  should  be  Distinctly  marked 274 

Colonies  to  Stand  Alone 273 

Colonizing 259 

Colonizing,  Hives  for 260 

Colonizing  not  Understood 259 

Colonizing,  Time  for 260 

Comb,  Condition  of : 162 

Comb  Frame,  Adjustable  Invented 34 

Comb-Guide  Discountenanced , 280 

Comb,  Honey  Strained  from 206 

Comb,  How  the  Foundation  of,  is  Laid 74 

Comb,  Irregular 137 

Comb,  Irregular,  How  to  Remedy 138 

Combs,  Attaching  in  Honey  Boxes 415 

Combs,  Condition  of  Important 281 

Combs,  Damaged  to  be  Removed 285 

Combs,  Description  of 277 

Combs,  How  Arranged 277 

Combs,  How  Arranged  in  New  Hive 269 

Combs  Interchanged 271 

Combs  Interchanged,  Benefit  of 272 

Combs,  Melt  and  Half-Melt  of S82 

Combs,  New  should  be  Saved 415 

Comb-Rot,  How  to  Detect 284 

Combs  should  be  Straight 279 

Combs,  Streets  between 278 

Conclusion 423 

Condition  of  Comb ,.  162 


428  INDEX. 


Condition  of  Comb  Important  ................................  281 

Condition  Requiring  Feeding  ................................  300 

Condition  Requisite  to  Swarming  .............................  235 

Condition  Suited  to  Wintering  ...............................  343 

Conquered  Colony,  How  to  Save  .............................  316 

Contents,  Table  of  ...  .......................................       3 

Course  to  Hive  Readily  Learned  .............................     75 

Culturist,  California,  Extract  from  ...........................  383 


Damaged  Comb  to  be  Removed  ......  .  .........  .  .............  288 

December,  Monthly  Management  for,  in  Cold  Climate  .........   377 

December,  Monthly  Management  for,  in  warm  Climate  ........  365 

Description  of  Swarm  .......................................  238 

Deserting,  Period,  Cause  and  Remedy  of  .....................  244 

Destroying  Bees  to  Cure  Foul  Brood  .........................     97 

Detect  Robbery,  How  to  ....................................  314 

Development,  Retarded  or  Accelerated  by  the  Temperature  ----     61 

Difference  in  Swarms  ........................................  164 

Different  Families  of  Bees  Uniting  ...........................  412 

Disease,  Beware  of  ......................  ...................  164 

Dividing  Hive  ..............................................  139 

Division,  Primary  .....  ^  .....................................  262 

Division,  Primary,  Time  of  Day  for  ..........................  265 

Driving,  Direction  for  .......................................     99 

Drivingto  Eradicate  Foul  Brood  .............................     98 

Drone  ......................................................     47 

Drone,  Description  and  Use  of  ...............................     69 

Drone  Killed  by  Workers  ....................................     70 

Drone-Laying  Queen  ........................................     64 

Drone-Laying  Queen  to  be  Destroyed  ........................     65 

Drone  Retained  over  Winter  .................................     70 

Drone,  White-headed  .......................................     71 

Drought  in  1854  .............................................     30 

Dry  Room  for  Honey  .......................................  202 

Dysentery,  Cause  of  ........................................     83 

Dysentery,  How  to  prevent  ........  ..........................     84 

Dysentery,  How  to  Remedy  .....  .•  ...........................     85 

Dysentery,  Symptoms  of  ....................................     83 

E 

Eggs,  Hatching  of  ...................................  ..  .....  -  -     56 

Eggs,  How  Vivified  .........................................     53 

Eggs,  Laying  of  ............................................     56 

Eggs,  Material  of  ...........................................     57 

Eggs,  Sex  of.  ...............................................     55 

Eggs,  Shape  of  ..............................................     57 

Emerging  of  Young  Bees  ....................................     62 

Enemies  ...................................................  105 

Essay,  Introductory  .........................................     11 

Examinations  to  Detect  Foul  Brood  ..........................     97 

Excitement  Dangerous  ......................................  366 

Experience  in  Bee-Keeping  ..................................     27 

Exposure  of  Hive  to  Extreme  Heat  or  Cold  to  be  Deprecated..  281 


INDEX.  429 


Families,  Different,  Uniting  the  Bees  of 412 

Family  of  Bees,  Members  of 47 

February,  Monthly  Management  for  Cold  Climate 367 

February,  Monthly  Management  for  Warm  Climate 553 

Feeding 417 

Feeding  Apt  to  Excite  Robbery 308 

Feeding,  Caution  Respecting 309 

Feeding,  Conditions  Requiring 300 

Feeding,  How  to  Prevent  Robbery  in 307 

Feeding,  Material  for 301 

Feeding,  Material  for,  Flour 303 

Feeding,  Material  for,  Honey 301 

Feeding,  Material  for,  Pollen 301 

Feeding,  Material  for,  Sugar 302 

Feeding,  Promiscuous 307 

Feeding,  Quantity  per  Day 303 

Feeding,  Time  for.: 299 

Feeding,  When 299 

Fertile 'Worker 77 

Fertile  Eggs  of  Produce  of  Dwarf  Drones 77 

Fertilized  Plants  by  Bees 214 

Flat-Bottomed  Hives  Objectionable 28 

Flour  as  food 302 

Fly,  Westward,  Bees 245 

Food,  Bees  should  be  Attracted  to 305 

Food,  How  Given 304 

Food,  Where  Placed 304 

Food  of  Larvae 58 

Forced  Swarming 253 

Forced  Swarming  in  Formation  of  Colonies 256 

Forced  Swarming,  Origin  of 253 

Forced  Swarming,  When  Successful 254 

Formation  of  Colonies 267 

Foul  Brood  Affects  Adult  Bees 92 

Foul  Brood,  Description  of 86 

Foul  Brood,  Developed  in  1859-60 44 

Foul  Brood,  Experiments  With 92 

Foul  Brood,  Extent  of  its  Existence 90 

Foul  Brood,  Seat  of  in  Pupa 91 

Foul  Brood,  Time  of  Development 93 

Foul  Brood,  How  Detected 95 

Foul  Brood  Incurable 97 

Foul  Brood,  Microscopic  Examinations 94 

Foul  Brood,  To  Eradicate,  Driving 98 

Foul  Brood,  To  Eradicate,  Entire  Destruction  necessary 98 

Frame,  Adjustable,  Invented 34 

Frame,  Suspended,  Objections  to 33 

Front  Slide 29 

Fruit  Trees  as  Pasture 172 

Fruit  Trees  Fertilized  by  Bees 217 

Full  Boxes,  How  to  Remove 201 

Fumigator 413 


430  INDEX. 


Grapes  not  Injured  by  Bees 215 

Gridiey,  J.,  Experiment  of,  Crossing  the  Plains  with  Bees 43 

Ground,  Choice  of  for  Apiary 182 

Gum,  Bee 132 


Half- Melt,  How  to  detect 284 

Harbison,  First  Importation  of  Bees,  1857 39 

Harbison,  Second  Importation  of  Bees,  1858-9 42 

Harkness,  Dr.  H.  W.,  Letter  from 94 

Harkness,  Dr.  H.  W.,  Microscopic  Examinations  by 94 

Hatchingof  Eggs 56 

Hatching  of  Eggs  in  Honey  Prevented 204 

Heat,  Exposure  of  Hive  to,  bad 281 

Hive....: . 26 

Hive,  African 139 

Hive,  Sevan's  Bee-Boxes 145 

Hive,  Box  or  Chamber 136 

Hive,  California 150 

Hive,  California,  Invention  of. 33 

Hive,  Chamber  Improved 155 

Hive,  Deep  from  Top  to  Bottom 32 

Hive,  Different  forms  of 133 

Hive,  Dividing 139 

Hive,  Flat-Bottomed  Objectionable 28 

Hive  for  Colony 260 

Hive,  Inclined  Bottom  Adopted 29 

Hive,  Kind  to  Select 161 

Hive,  Langstroth 149 

Hive,  Leaf 142 

Hive,  Material  for 157 

Hive,  Material  Homes  for  Moths 29 

Hive,  Mirror 141 

Hive,  Moth-Proof  not  yet  Invented. 115 

Hive,  Munn's 147 

Hive,  Natural 129 

Hive,  Natural,  Advantages  of. 131 

Hive,  Palace 139 

Hive,  Russian,  Very  Tall 134 

Hive,  Stands  for 184 

Hive,  Size  of 161 

Hive,  Straw 135 

Hive,  Storifying 156 

Hive,  Tall.:.... 133 

Hive  to  be  Protected 376 

Hive,  Unicomb  or  Leaf 140 

Hiving,  Preparation  for 237 

Hiving,  Swarm 239 

Honey,  Amount  of,  Sold  in  1853 30 

Honey  Best  Material  for  Feeding  Bees 301 

Honey  Boxes,  Brood  in 202 

Honey  Boxes,  Collateral 199 

Honey  Box,  Section  Invented 34 


INDEX,  431 


Honey,  California 193 

Honey  Consumers,  Suggestion  to 417 

Honey,  Description  of 189 

Honey  from  the  Plains  of  Varied  Quality 194 

Honey,  How  to  Pack  for  Market 203 

Honey,  How  Placed  in  the  Cell 193 

Honey  in  the  Mountains  Good 193 

Honey  not  Digested  by  the  Bee 190 

Honey,  Prime. *. . . 192 

Honey  Production,  the  Principle  Interest  in  Bee-Keeping 195 

Honey,  Requisites  for  Obtaining 201 

Honey  Strained  from  Combs 206 

Honey,  Sources  of,  in  Atlantic  States 194 

Honey,  Times  of  Gathering 199 

Honey,  Virgin 192 

Honey,  Where  Kept 202 

Honey,  Worms  in 203 

Horses,  Attacked,  How  Treated 125 

How  Detect  Half-Melt 284 

I 

111  Success  in  Importations,  1858-9 43 

Illustrations,  List  of 5 

Imago 60 

Impregnations  of  Queens 52 

Improved  Chamber  Hive 155 

Inclined  Bottom 29 

Indications  of  Moth 114 

Interchange  of  Combs 271 

Interchange  of  Combs,  Benefit  of 272 

Intelligence  Essential  to  Success  in  Bee-Keeping 75 

Introduction  of  Bees  to  California 37 

Introductory  Essay 11 

Invention  of  Adjustable  Comb  Frame 34 

Invention  of  California  Hive 33 

Invention  of  Metallic  Clamps 34 

Invention  of  Section  Honey  Box 34 

Invention  of  System  of  Ventilation 34 

Italian  Bee 381 

Italian  Bee,  Advantages  of 382 

,1 

January  Monthly  Management  for  Cold  Climate 365 

January  Monthly  Management  for  Warm  Climate 352 

July  Monthly  Management  for  Cold  Climate 371 

July  Monthly  Management  for  Warm  Climate 358 

June  Monthly  Management  for  Cold  Climate 370 

June  Monthly  Management  for  Warm  Climate 358 


Kept,  Where  Honey  should  be 212 

Kind  of  Hive  to  Adopt 161 

King  Birds  Destroy  Bees 108 


432  INDEX. 


Kirtland,  Dr.  J.  P.,  Letter  from  .............................  386 

Knife  ......................................................  185 


Langstroth  Hive  ............................................  31 

Langstroth  Hive  ............................................  149 

Langstroth  Hive,  Defect  in  ..................................  32 

Langstroth,  Rev.  L.  L.,  Letter  from  .........................  386 

Laryse,  Food  of  ............................................  58 

Laying  of  Eggs  ............................................  56 

Leaf  Hive  ............  .  ....................................  140 

Leaf  Hive  .................................................  142 

Letter  of  Appleton,  F.  G  ....................................  37 

Letter  of  Biglow,  A.  J  ......................................  384 

Letter  of  Harkness,  Dr.  H.  W  ..............................  94 

Letter  of  Kirtland,  Dr.  J.  P  ................................  386 

Letter  of  Langstroth,  Rev.  L.  L  .............................  386 

Letter  of  Parsons  ..........................................  385 

Letting  Bees  on  Shares,  Terms  of  ........  .  ...................  418 

Linden  Trees  as  Pasture  ....................................  175 

List  of  Illustrations  .........................................  5 

Location  of  Apiary  .........................................  181 

Locust  Trees  as  Pasture  ...                                                     .  .....  173 


Management  After  Swarming 242 

Management  of  Bees  in  Winter 246 

Manner  of  Transferring 293 

Manzanita  as  Pasture 170 

March  Monthly  Management  for  Cold  Climate 368 

March  Monthly  Management  for  Warm  Climate 355 

Material  for  Feeding 301 

Maturing  of  Queen,  Time  of 61 

Maturing  of  Young  Bees,  Time  of 61 

May  Monthly  Management  for  Cold  Climate 370 

May  Monthly  Management  for  Warm  Climate 357 

Means  of  Protection 123 

Metallic  Clamps 34 

Mice  Destructive  to  Bees 106 

Microscopic  Examinations  in  Foul  Brood 94 

Mignonette  as  Pasture 173 

Mirror  Hive 141 

Monthly  Management 351 

Monthly  Management  for  April,  Cold  Climate 369 

Monthly  Management  for  April,  Warm  Climate 357 

Monthly  Management  for  August,  Cold  Climate 372 

Monthly  Management  for  August,  Warm  Climate 359 

Monthly  Management  for  December,  Cold  Climate 377 

Monthly  Management  for  December,  Warm  Climate 365 

Monthly  Management  for  February,  Cold  Climate 367 

Monthly  Management  for  February,  Warm  Climate 353 

Monthly  Management  for  January^  Cold  Climate 365 

Monthly  Management  for  January,  Warm  Climate 352 


INDEX.  433 

Monthly  Management  for  June,  Cold  Climate 370 

Monthly  Management  for  June,  Warm  Climate 358 

Monthly  Management  for  July,  Cold  Climate 371 

Monthly  Management  for  July,  Warm  Climate 358 

Monthly  Management  for  March,  Cold  Climate - 368 

Monthly  Management  for  March,  Warm  Climate 355 

Monthly  Management  for  May,  Cold  Climate 370 

Monthly  Management  for  May,  Warm  Climate 357 

Monthly  Management  for  November,  Cold  Climate 3' 

Monthly  Management  for  November,  Warm  Climate 363 

Monthly  Management  for  October,  Cold  Climate 374 

Monthly  Management  for  October,  Warm  Climate 362 

Monthly  Management  for  September,  Cold  Climate 373 

Monthly  Management  for  September,  Warm  Climate 361 

Moth.. . . 108 

Moth,  Carelessness  with 109 

Moth  Dies  as  soon  as  its  Eggs  are  Laid Ill 

Moth  Eggs,  How  to  Prevent  Hatching 204 

Moth,  Indications  of 114 

Moth-Proof  Hive — Not  yet  Found 115 

Moth  should  be  Exterminated 114 

Mountains  Produce  Superior  Honey 193 

Munn'sHive 147 

Mustard 174 

ST 

Natural  Hives 129 

Natural  Hives,  Advantages  of 131 

Natural  Swarming,  Period  of 235 

Net  Swarm 248 

Net  Swarm,  How  to  Use 249 

New  Combs  should  be  Saved 415 

New  Countries  Prolific  in  Pasture 169 

November  Monthly  Management  for  Cold  Climate. 375 

November  Monthly  Management  for  Warm  Climate 363 

Number  of  Bees 163 

Number  of  Swarms,  How  to  Regulate 242 

Nursery,  Queen,  How  Built 264 

Nurses,  Their  Occupation 75 

Nymph,  Time  in  which  it  Spins  its  Cocoon 60 

Nymph,  When  the  Queen  becomes 59 

O 

Oak  as  Pasture 172 

October  Monthly  Management  for  Cold  Climate 374 

October  Monthly  Management  for  Warm  Climate 362 

Overland  Transportation  of  Bees - , , .  -     43 

Over-population  Guarded  againstln  Nature , . . .   197 

Overstocking ." ..„,.., 321 

Overstocking,  Examples  in  Germany ,,,.,,......., 326 

Overstocking,  Examples  in  California ,.,.....,, , 327 

Overstocking,  Never  by  Nature , , . . . . , 322 

Overstocking,  Remarkable  Caseof ,,,,,.,,., 329 

19 


434  INDEX. 


Pack-Boxes  for  Marketing  Honey 203 

Packed,  How  Honey  should  be,  for  Market 203 

Packing  Honey  for 'Market 203 

Palace  Hive 139 

Papilio  Machaon 61 

Parsons,  Letter  from 385 

Pasturage ' 1 69 

Pasture,  ^scalonia  as 177 

Pasturage,  Good,  Necessary  to  Transferring 290 

Pasturage  in  New  Countries 169 

Pasturage,  Alfilarela  for 172 

Period  of  Natural  Swarming 235 

Pewitt,  Bee-Catcher 108 

Place  for  Transferring 292 

Place  for  Pood 304 

Plants  Fertilized  by  Bees 214 

Playing 62 

Points  of  Compass  Understood 75 

Poison  of  Bee  Sting 72 

Pollen 162 

Pollen,  Color  of 212 

Pollen  Good  Material  for  Feeding 301 

Pollen,  Substitute  for 213 

Pollen,  Use  of 212 

Pollen,  Use  of  for  Food  only , 212 

Poplar  as  Pasture 174 

Precaution  in  Supplying  Queens 411 

Preceding  Signs  of  Natural  Swarming 236 

Preface....:....... f 9 

Preparation  for  Hiving 237 

Preparation  for  Hiving 239 

Preparation  for  Transferring 291 

Preparation  for  Transportation 421 

Preventives  of  Robbing 315 

Primary  Cause  of  Robbing 313 

Primary  Division 262 

Primary  Division,  Time  of  Day  for 265 

Prolific  Queen 162 

Promiscuous  Feeding 307 

Propolis,  Its  Use 221 

Propolis,  When  Gathered 221 

Protection,  Means  of 123 

Pruning  Rod 185 

Pupa  Needs  Little  Food ... 59 

a 

Quantity  of  Food  per  Day 303 

Queen  Cage 185 


ueen  Cage 412 


Queen  Cells  to  be  Handled  with  Great  Care 269 

Queen,  Description  of 48 

Queen  Destroyed  in  Embryo 50 

Queen,  Drone  Laying 64 


INDEX.  435 


ueen,  Drone-Laying,  to  be  Destroyed 6t> 

ueen,  Emerging  of 51 

ueen,  First  one 49 

ueen,  Her  Office 48 

ueen,  How  Found 263 

ueen,  Impregnation  of ..' 51 

ueen,  Loss  of 65 

ueen,  Loss  of,  External  Evidence 66 

ueen,  Loss  of,  Internal  Evidence 67 

ueen  Nursery,  How  Built 264 

ueen,  Old  one  Accompanies  First  Swarm 49 

ueen  often  Difficult  to  Find 263 

ueen,  Plate  of 47 

_ueen,  Prolific 162 

Queen,  Second  one 49 

Queen-Supplying,  Precaution  in 411 

Queen,  Unfertile,  How  Detected 274 

Queen,  When  Bred 48 


Rape  as  Pasture 171 

Raspberry  as  Pasture 172 

Rats  Destroy  Bees 106 

Regulating  Number  of  Swarms 242 

Remedy  for  Stings 125 

Remedy  for  Swarming  out 42 

Remove  Damaged  Combs 285 

Removing  Boxes  When  Full 201 

Removing  Colonies  from  Apiary 273 

Removing  Swarms  to  the  Stand 241 

Requisites  to  Swarming 235 

Robbery,  Exciting  Cause  of 314 

Robbery,  How  Detected 314 

Robbery,  How  Prevent,  in  Feeding 307 

Robbery,  Preventives  of 315 

Robbery,  Primary  Cause  of 313 

Robbery,  Secondary  Cause  of 313 

Rod  with  Knife  for  Pruning. 185 

Rye  Meal  a  Substitute  for  Pollen 213 


Sacramento  Valley,  First  Bees  Brought  to,  by  A.  P.  Smith 38 

Saving  a  Conquered  Colony 316 

Saving  New  Combs 415 

Season  for  Transferring 291 

Secondary  Cause  of  Robbery 313 

Section  Honey  Box  Invented 34 

September  Monthly  Management  for  Cold  Climate 373 

September  Monthly  Management  for  Warm  Climate 361 

Sex  of  Eggs 55 

Shades 182 

Shades,  How  Made 183 

Shares,  Letting  Bees  on. .. 418 


436  INDEX. 


Shelton,  First  Importer  to  California 37 

Signs  of  After-Swarming 237 

Signs  Preceding  First  Swarm : 236 

Size  of  Hive 161 

Skunks  Destroy  Bees 105 

Slide,  Front J 29 

Smith,  A.  P.,  Introduced  Bees  to  Sacramento,  1855 39 

Smoke,  Roll  for 185 

Smoke  Used  to  Obtain  Honey 27 

Smoke  Used  to  Tame  Bees 122 

Spiders  Destroy  Bees 118 

Stands  for  Hives 184 

Stands,  When  Remove  Swarms  to 241 

Sting,  Description  of 72 

Sting,  Remedy  for 125 

Stingless  Bees 401 

Stingless  Bees  Brought  to  California 405 

Stock,  Choice  of 161 

Storifying  Hive 156 

Straining  Honey  from  Combs 206 

Straight  Combs  Desirable 279 

Straight  Combs,  How  to  Make 280 

Straw  Hives 135 

Streets  Between  Combe 278 

Substitute  for  Pollen,  Rye  Meal 213 

Sugar  for  Food 302 

Suggestions  to  Honey  Consumers 417 

Sulphur  Used  to  Kill  Bees 27 

Sumach  as  Pasture 175 

Supplying  Queens,  Precaution  in •. 411 

Swarms,  Difference  in 164 

Swarms,  Time  of  Emerging  Limited 49 

Suspended  Frames  Objectionable 33 

Swarm,  After-Signs  of 237 

Swarm-Basket,  How  Built 247 

Swarm,  Description  of 238 

Swarm,  Net 248 

Swarming,  Cause  of 233 

Swarming,  Conditions  Requisite  to 235 

Swarming,  Forced,  How  Effected 253 

Swarming,  Forced,  First  Practiced  by  Germans 253 

Swarming,  Forced,  Formation  of  Colonies  Preferable  to 256 

Swarming,  Forced,  When  Successful 254 

Swarming,  How  Regulated 196 

Swarming,  Natural,  Period  of 235 

Swarming  Out,  Cause  of 41 

Swarming  Out,  Remedy  for 42 

Swarming,  Season  of,  When  Past 236 

Swarming,  Signs  Preceding  First 236 

Swarms,  The  Number  of  Regulated 242 

Swarms,  When  to  Remove 241 

Sycamore  as  Pasture 170 


INDEX.  437 


Table  of  Contents 3 

Table  of  Illustrations   5 

Taming  Bees - 121 

Temperature  Necessary  for  Breeding 282 

Temperature  Necessary  for  Brood 61 

Temperature  Necessary  for  Transferring 272 

Terms  of  Letting  Bees  on  Shares 418 

Time  for  Colonizing 260 

Time  of  Day  for  Transferring 292 

Toads  Eat  B~ees 107 

Tools  and  Implements 185 

Transferring 289 

Transferring  Done  only  when  Pasturage  is  good , 290 

Transferring,  Hive  Sufted  to 290 

Transferring,  Manner  of 293 

Transferring,  Place  for 292 

Transferring,  Prepartions  for 291 

Transferring,  Season  for 291 

Transferring,  Time  of  Day  for. . . 292 

Transferring,  Temperature  Required 292 

Transportation 39 

Transportation  of  Bees  in  Egypt 336 

Transportation  of  Bees  in  Scouand 337 

Transportation  of  Bees,  Preparation  for 425 

Transportation  of  Bees,  Preparation  for 331 

Treatment  of  Young 56 

Turnips  as  Pasture 171 

U 

Unicomb  Hive 140 

Uniting  Bees  of  Diiferent  Families 412 

Uses  of  Wax 226 

V 

Ventilation,  System  of,  Invented 34 


Wasps  as  Enemies  of  Bees 118 

Water  not  Essential 367 

Water  Used  to  Subdue  Bees 123 

Wax,  Analysis  of 227 

Wax  an  Article  of  Commerce 228 

Wax,  By  Whom  and  How  Produced 74* 

Wax,  How  Obtained 227 

Wax,  Its  Nature,  Color,  etc 225 

Wax-Producers  are  Short-Lived 75 

Wax,  Quantity  of,  in  a  Hive 228 

Wax,  To  Test  its  Quality 225 

Wax,  Uses  of 226 

Wax,  Where  Principally  Produced 229 

Weeks'  Hive 28 

Westward,  Bees  Fly 245 


438  INDEX. 


When  Eemo ve  to  Stand 241 

Where  Keep  Bees  in  Winter 344 

White  Clover  as  Pasture 173 

White-Headed  Drones 71 

White  Wax 225 

White  Wax,  How  Made, 226 

White  Wood  as  Pasture 174 

Wild  Clover  as  Pasture 173 

Wild  Flowers  as  Pasture 172 

Willows  as  Pasture 170 

Wing 185 

Wintering  Bees 343 

Wintering  Bees,  Conditions  Suited  to 343 

Wintering  Bees,  Place  Suited  to 344 

Winter  Management 346 

Wood-Pecker  Destructive  to  Bees 107 

Worker 47 

Worker,  Description  of 71 

Worker,  Fertile : 77 

Worker,  Fertile,  Industry  of 76 

Worms,  Indications  of 114 

Worms  in  Honey 203 

Worms,  Their  Process 204 

Y 
Young,  Treatment  of 56 


ADVERTISEMENT. 


Patent  No.  22,500,  dated  January  4th,  1859,  was  granted 
to  me  for  improvements  in  Bee  Hives ;  but,  owing  to  defect- 
ive specifications,  I  now  believe  it  is  inoperative,  and  have 
made  application  to  the  Commissioner  of  Patents  to  be  allowed 
to  surrender  the  same,  and  ask  for  new  letters  patent  for  the 
same  invention,  to  be  issued  for  the  residue  of  the  period  for 
which  the  original  patent  was  granted. 
-The  following  are  the  claims  of  the  amended  specifications  : 

What  I  claim  as  my  invention,  and  desire  to  secure  by  let- 
ters patent,  is — 

1st.  Adjusting  the  narrow  comb  frames  to  a  bee  hive,  so 
that  they  may  be  removed  through  the  side  or  door  of  the 
hive.  Substantially  as  set  forth, 

2d.  Providing  the  comb  frames  with  clamps  for  confining 
the  comb.  Substantially  as  set  forth. 

3d.  A  store  honey  box,  made  in  sections,  which  are  tempo- 
rarily united,  so  that  one  or  more  sections,  or  the  whole  series 
of  sections,  may  be  taken  away  from  the  hive  at  will,  and  thus 
the  honey  sold  by  the  whole  box,  or  narrow  sections  of  a  box, 
at  the  market,  and  thus  the  wants  of  a  purchaser  suited,  and  a 
frame,  or  support  for  him  to  transport  the  honey  in,  is  furnished 
at  a  slight  extra  cost.  Substantially  as  set  forth. 

4th.  The  combination  of  an  air  chamber  below  the  bottom 
of  the  hive,  ventilating  passages,  and  a  curtain  for  excluding 
the  light  from  the  interior  of  the  hive.  Substantially  as  set 
forth. 

J.  S.  HARBISON. 


440  ADVERTISEMENT. 

The  above  patent  (No.  22,500)  covers  the  improvement  in 
the  California  Hive.  (See  Chapter  VII.) 

The  price  of  an  individual  right,  entitling  the  purchaser  to 
make  and  use  the  above  Hive,  in  one  and  not  more  than  two 
apiaries,  is  FIFTEEN  DOLLARS.  Any  additional  improvements 
hereafter  made  in  Bee  Hives  by  me,  are  hereby  guaranteed  to 
the  purchaser  without  additional  charge. 

J.  S.  HARBISON,  Patentee. 


Patent  No.  26,431,  dated  December  13th,  1859,  for  improve- 
ment in  Bee  Hives. 

CLAIM. — What  I  claim  as  my  invention,  and  desire  to  secure 
by  letters  patent,  is — 

Placing  the  bee  comb,  known  as  worker  cells,  in  a  horizontal, 
or  nearly  horizontal  position,  so  that  the  cells  shall  be  vertical, 
or  nearly  vertical,  instead  of  horizontal,  by  the  means  or  thejr 
equivalents.  Substantially  as  set  forth  and  represented. 

J.  S.  HARBISON. 

The  above  patent  (No.  26,431)  covers  the  Queen  Nursery 
described  in  Chapter  XVII. 

The  price  of  an  individual  right  to  make  and  use  the  same, 

is  ONE   DOLLAR. 

J.  S.  HARBISON,  Patentee. 


For  Individual,  County  or  State  Eights,  to  make  and  to 
use  the  California  Hive,  or  the  Vertical  Queen  Nursery,  apply 
to  W.  C.  HARBISON,  Chenango,  Lawrence  County,  Pa.,  or  J. 
S.  HARBISON,  Sacramento  City,  California. 


I  hereby  tender  to  all  ministers  of  the  gospel,  and  editors 
of  newspapers  throughout  the  United  States,  the  right  of  the 
above  patents,  for  their  own  personal  use,  free  of  cost. 

J.  S.  HARBISON,  Patentee. 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED  | 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 
on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 


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Berkeley 


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